


Gray Jedi

by auguy86



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Rise of Empire Era - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Consensual Sex, F/M, First Time Blow Jobs, Loss of Virginity, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-09-13 01:39:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 61,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9100759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auguy86/pseuds/auguy86
Summary: The Jedi Order. The shining light of hope for the Republic. That is, until it is toppled by the Sith and the Galactic Empire. In the aftermath of this catastrophe, two young Jedi Knights escape into hiding together. But with the Jedi Council gone, how will they come to terms with their blossoming feelings for each other? Is there still a purpose for their lives in this rapidly-changing galaxy?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings, readers! I had so much fun writing my recent Star Wars story, “Of Scavengers and Smugglers,” that I decided to start up another. This one I plan to be a longer-running series. Just how long, I’m not certain yet. At least as long as ideas keep flowing, I suppose. Anyway, this story starts with the immediate aftermath of Anakin Skywalker’s betrayal in Episode III before exploring the Age of the Empire. It does contain erotic scenes, but is rather slow to get to them. Plot and action sequences will take precedent in this story. For example, the first sex scene does not appear until chapter two. If that is not your cup of tea for a Star Wars fan fiction story, my feelings will not be hurt. All the same, I do hope you take the time to read and find my story enjoyable! -auguy86

“He seriously did _that_?!”

“Saw it with my own eyes, Malik! I swear!”

“Serra, come on. I know Yoda always says ‘do or do not, there is no try,’ but this seems to be firmly in the ‘do not’ category.”

“Hey, check the security holograms if you don’t believe me. It’s all there.”

“Wow… Anakin Skywalker actually landed the _Invisible Hand_ and saved Chancellor Palpatine in the process. I always knew he was a great pilot, but that’s beyond _anything_ I’ve ever heard of! Unbelievable!”

“Believe it,” came a voice from behind the pair.

“Master Windu! Good to see you!” Malik Ran said as the Jedi Master approached.

“You as well, Malik. Serra Keto, always a pleasure.”

“Likewise, Master Windu.”

“Malik how was your reconnaissance mission? Any luck?”

“A few leads,” the young Jedi replied. “Several sources indicated that the Separatists have their eyes on setting up camp on Utapau, that is if they aren’t there already.”

“These sources reliable?” Windu inquired.

“Bothan intelligence.”

Nodding, Windu replied, “That’s reliable alright. During the rescue mission yesterday, General Grievous escaped and went on the run. If what you’ve found is true, he may well be on his way to Utapau as we speak.”

“Then we’d better get someone after him right away!” Serra interjected. “We apprehend him, we end the war.”

“I’m just on my way to the Jedi Council Chambers to discuss the matter. Rest assured, ending this war is our highest priority. The sooner we can restore our Republic to its intended democratic protocols, the better,” Windu reassured her.

“Thank you, Master. Let me know if you need my presence before the Council,” Malik said.

“I will, but I doubt that will be necessary. Master Ki-Adi-Mundi was working with you, and is actively tracking Grievous as we speak, so his information should be enough for us to act. I’ll see you later, then.”

“Take care, Master Windu,” Serra said.

As Windu took his leave, the two young Jedi strolled through the corridors of the temple together. They said nothing, only enjoying each other’s company. Soon, Serra broke the silence.

“I’m glad you’re back… I missed you.”

“Me too,” Malik replied. “I’ll be glad when this war is over. No more cloak-and-dagger secret missions, back to being guardians of peace rather than generals…”

“And back to the High Council being as inflexible as ever…”

“Yeah,” Malik sighed.

As they turned a corner, she casually brushed her hand against his, feeling the warm touch of his skin.

“Woah, not here,” he said, pulling away. “Someone could see.”

“I know but… I’m tired of pretending this isn’t real,” Serra said. “Malik, what we have is stronger than any normal friendship. Remember how close the Council was to kicking me out of the order, saying I was a loose cannon? All that changed when we met. You’ve been the best influence I could’ve ever asked for, even better than Master Drallig.”

“Be that as it may, the Council would kick us _both_ out if they discovered this. You don’t deserve that, not with as far as you’ve come.”

“Do you really think we’re the first Jedi to have faced this dilemma?” she asked, cocking her eyebrow.

Sighing, he replied, “No… we definitely are not. Not if the rumors about Qui-Gon Jinn are to be believed, anyway.”

“And there are others too, supposedly. Who, I can’t say. But the fact remains that this is nothing new, Malik. We should at least consider every option, don’t you agree?”

Thinking for a moment, Malik said, “How ‘bout we wait at least until the end of the war. With any luck, Grievous will have been brought down by the end of the week. Once things quiet down, we’ll have a better idea of what to do. Agreed?”

Realizing he was right, she nodded. “Agreed.”

The pair said their goodbyes and Serra departed towards the lightsaber training area. She was to help her former Master, Cin Drallig, with his lessons that afternoon. As she left, Malik caught himself once again admiring her form. Serra Keto was not only beautiful, but also strong and intelligent. Her hair was a gorgeous shade of raven, and she always kept it tied back in a pair of loose pigtails. Her body was fit and athletic, yet also possessed ample curves to go along with those muscles. Her porcelain skin stood in beautiful contrast to her dark hair, and her legs were long and powerful. At twenty-two years, she was as strong as she had ever been, and would only continue growing over the next several years. She was the perfect combination of warrior and woman, and at three years younger than him, no less! Shaking his head, Malik pushed those thoughts from his mind; he had to remain disciplined, after all. As he continued down the hallway, he spotted a friend coming towards him.

“Anakin! Congratulations!”

Skywalker looked up, appearing startled and a bit apprehensive. “Malik? Wha…?”

“Congrats! Successful rescue operation, landing the _Invisible Hand_ in the middle of Coruscant’s financial district, people are saying you’re a real-life hero!” Malik said, shaking his hand.

“Oh! Well, thank you, but I can’t take full credit,” Anakin replied. “The entire mission was Obi-Wan’s idea, after all.”

“True, but as he would say, ‘Ideas are good and useful, but executing them is an entirely different matter.’ I’d say you executed to perfection.”

“That’s true, I suppose.”

The pair moved to a nearby window, gazing out on the bustling metropolis of Coruscant. Every citizen seemed to move with a hurried apprehension, which was understandable. After all, the Clone Wars had just affected them in the most personal way possible less than twenty-four hours before. Their fear and uncertainty made perfect sense.

“Do you… do you ever wonder what will happen to the Order once the war ends?” Anakin asked.

“All the time,” Malik replied with a nod. “Seems you do too.”

“I do. I’ve traveled to so many war-torn worlds over the last few years. I’ve seen and done terrible things, all in the name of restoring peace. I see the galaxy changing forever with every passing moment. I wonder… how does that change affect us?”

“As Master Yoda loves to say, always in motion is the future. I guess all we can do is hold firm to our principles. We have to remain the rock for our Republic.”

Anakin gave him a questioning look. “Do you really believe in _all_ of our principles?”

Returning Anakin’s gaze, Malik asked, “Anakin, what’s wrong? There’s… something different about you.”

Looking away, Anakin replied, “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just… I’m tired of fighting.”

“I agree, but I’ve seen that look in your eye in others, Anakin. That’s not the look of someone tired of fighting a war. It’s the look of a man tired of fighting an inner battle.”

“You know nothing of inner turmoil…”

“Try me,” Malik replied with a grin. “Don’t think I haven’t seen how frequently you visit the Senate Chambers.”

Anakin glared at him. “Don’t think I haven’t seen how friendly you and Serra Keto have become.”

“Fair enough. So who are you visiting so often at the Senate?” Malik chuckled.

“None of your business,” Anakin muttered, turning to leave.

“Anakin,” Malik said to him. “In spite of our disagreements with the Council, don’t forget how much good we have done and can still do. When it’s all said and done… the Republic needs us. We owe it to the Republic to work out our inner demons.”

Stopping for a moment, Anakin looked at the floor. “You are right, of course. Thank you for listening to my ramblings.”

“Not at all. Take care of yourself. I’m around if you need to ramble again.”

*****

A few days later, Malik Ran reported to Master Vokara Che, the chief Jedi Healer of the Order. She was a gruff old Twi’lek, yet highly accomplished in her field; most credited her for the Jedi Order having lost as few Jedi in the Clone Wars as they had. Malik himself was one of her best healers, though his methods were quite unorthodox as compared to others. While most healers relied on an intense connection to the living force, Malik used his vast anatomical knowledge to heal specific body parts through the Force. This allowed him to inspect them for damage on a far more intimate level than most could ever dream of. While some in the Order called this unnatural and against the balance of the Force, Malik had proved his worth time and time again by saving injured soldiers who would normally be beyond saving.

“Master Che,” Malik said, stepping into her office.

“Ah, Malik, there you are. What can I do for you?”

“I understand that Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has been given the assignment of apprehending General Grievous. He’s hiding out on Utapau, yes?”

“That is correct.”

“I would like to accompany his battalion as their medic.”

Shaking her head, Che replied, “I cannot in good conscience allow that, Malik. I admire your dedication, but you have served five consecutive tours of active duty already. You need to rest, lest you push yourself too hard.”

“Master Che, this is the most crucial mission of the entire war! If Kenobi is successful, then the Separatists lose! Not to mention how many Jedi Grievous has already slain. They need me!”

“I have already assigned their medic, and their ship has long since departed. By now, they are already on Utapau. I’m sorry, Malik, but this matter is closed. Go home, rest, recover. You have served with honor and distinction, and will need your strength to continue to do so.”

“I… yes, Master.”

Malik took his leave, frustrated with Master Che’s decision. Still, her logic was sound; he had been working overdrive for the latter half of the Clone Wars. Though he disagreed with her, he refused to allow his frustration to boil over into anger. He needed a calming presence. Taking the elevator down to the ground level of the Jedi Temple, Malik made for the Meditation Gardens.

Entering the serene green space, Malik’s mind began to quiet. He always had his best thoughts here. In fact, this was where he first discovered his natural talent as a surgical healer, spurring him on to research how he could heal bodies too far gone under most normal circumstances. Yes, here he could make sense of anything. Here, he was in complete control of himself.

“Hello, Malik.”

Turning, he saw Serra approaching. “Serra! Man, am I glad to see you!”

“I saw you heading this way. You always come here to think things over, so I figured I should check on you. Everything ok?”

“Yeah… it’s just that Master Che denied my request to accompany Master Kenobi on his mission to Utapau. I’m the best medic in the Order, and it’s the most crucial mission to date… yet here I am, stuck at home.”

Serra moved closer, rubbing his shoulder with her hand. “She’s right, you know. You’ve been pushing yourself so hard. Many of us have been worried about the amount of stress you’re placing on yourself. I know you want to be out there in the thick of it, but you need to recover from all the good you’ve already done.”

Sighing, Malik admitted, “You’re right, Serra. Thanks. You always know just what to say.”

“What can I say? We’re good influences on each other,” she replied with a sweet giggle.

Their eyes locked. The pair could feel that they were being drawn together. It was as if the Force itself was calling them. Serra’s cheeks flushed. Malik’s breaths became more labored. Unable to help herself, she leaned closer, beginning to move her lips closer to his, bit-by-bit. He was so kind, so honest. She couldn’t help herself.

“Ahem.”

The pair was startled by a voice from behind them. Spinning around, they found Master Mace Windu standing nearby, his arms crossed and wearing a facial expression of displeasure. They knew they had been caught.

“Serra, I just received word from Master Drallig. He needs to see you in his office right away,” Windu said.

“I’ll… go right now. Bye, Malik. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Bye.” As she left, Malik could not escape the glare of Master Windu. “M-Master, I can explain-”

“Walk with me,” Windu said with calm conviction. As the pair strolled through the garden, he continued, “I know what you are feeling. It is, after all, human nature.”

“Then why do I feel like I’m walking to the gallows?”

“Malik, you and I both know that we Jedi must hold ourselves to a higher standard than human nature. You accepted this in your promotion to Jedi Knight. The path you and Serra were about to start down may seem innocent and harmless now, but down the line leads to the Dark Side. Love may not be a dangerous emotion in and of itself, but it must come without condition. Choosing one individual above all others… that is a dangerous condition.”

“I understand your premise, but I disagree with your conclusion,” Malik replied.  
“The Council’s wise words often contradict each other. One minute, Master Yoda talks about how the future is ever dependent on our choices. The next, you talk of destiny and the unavoidable lure of the Dark Side. I agree with the ideals, but there must be a more practical way to achieve them.”

“I know. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. In truth, this is a somewhat common issue for us to work through. Again, human nature.” Turning to him with a stern look, he continued, “You may disagree with the Council if you wish, in words. You may be looked upon with disapproval, but you won’t lose your career.”

“And be branded a Gray Jedi…”

“I don’t think that’s warranted. A Gray Jedi actively calls upon both the Dark and the Light Sides of the Force without being devoted to or consumed by either. But if you take any action in your disagreements with the council… such a title might make sense in that case.”

“Perhaps… but this does bring up a question that’s been rattling around inside my mind,” Malik said.

“What is that?”

“What happens to the Jedi Order once the war ends? Is it really as simple as us going back to the way things were before? After all, many citizens of the Republic have grown to resent us, thinking that we were the catalyst that started the war in the first place.”

Windu sighed. “No, it’s not that simple. How I wish it were. As much as the Council tries to hold to our traditions and ideals, we cannot deny the drastic changes the Republic is undergoing. I suppose… some changes in the Jedi Order may be inevitable. What those changes look like, I cannot be certain. But one thing I am certain of is our need for Jedi like you, Malik. You see things from a certain point of view, one that can at times provide you greater insight into a situation that would baffle some of the more traditionalist Jedi. Those like you and Serra Keto… you will be necessary to ensure our future. Of this I have no doubt.”

“Does that mean Serra and I would be placed on the Council?” Malik asked with a sly grin.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Windu fired back with a smile. “The Council remains… quite discerning in regards to its membership.”

Malik’s face turned serious. “Is that why Anakin Skywalker was allowed onto the Council yet not granted the rank of Master?”

“Don’t concern yourself with that situation. It’s beyond the scope of your influence, and thus should not be dwelt on.”

“Fair enough.”

As the sun began to sink in the late afternoon, Master Windu’s holocom signaled an incoming transmission.

“This is Master Windu.”

_“Master Windu, it is Master Kenobi.”_

“Obi-Wan! You alright? Did you find Grievous?”

_“I did. I have just destroyed him in combat. He’s gone. My battalion has moved in and is working with the warriors of Utapau to liberate the system. It will not be long.”_

“Excellent work! I’ll deliver this information to the Chancellor. I only hope he reacts… favorably.”

_“I understand. May the Force be with you, Master.”_

“And with you as well, Obi-Wan.”

“Well, that’s great news!” Malik said.

“It is. I have some business to attend to. Malik, I would ask that you meditate on everything we have discussed today. I sense that you are still conflicted, and I do not wish that for you. I would also recommend some time away from Serra for now, so that you may both think more clearly.”

“I understand, Master.”

Bowing to each other, the two Jedi parted ways, Windu heading for the hangar and Malik for his quarters. Once there, he meditated for an hour or so, attempting to come to terms with his inner conflict. He found little success, and was still torn between the code of the Jedi and his growing fondness for Serra.  
Every time he tried to convince himself to leave her be, he began to feel a tug from the Force, something telling him that it was not the right course of action. Now as confused as ever, he exited the Jedi Temple to get some fresh air.

As he traveled through the skies of Coruscant in his airspeeder, Malik began to feel more at ease. Flying in his favorite open-cockpit vehicle was always a freeing experience that allowed his concerns and worries to melt away. As he merged into a skylane, Malik saw that he was approaching the residential area for many of the senators of the Republic. As mundane an experience as that would be under most circumstances, something odd caught his eye. Up on the higher floors of one of the apartment buildings, he could have sworn he saw the flash of a lightsaber.

“Huh, strange,” he muttered, slowing and pulling out his electrobinoculars. As he zoomed in, he realized, “That’s Chancellor Palpatine’s apartment!”

Thinking the Chancellor was under attack, he set his airspeeder on autopilot, bringing him closer while also allowing him to continue to monitor the situation from afar. As the apartment came into view, Malik was shocked by what he saw: Master Windu was fighting the Chancellor, and both had lightsabers! All of a sudden, a brilliant flash blinded him for the moment, forcing him to look away. As he looked back, he now saw that the Chancellor was attacking Master Windu with Force Lightning.

“No… the Chancellor’s a Sith?!”

Realizing he had not a moment to lose, Malik resumed control of the airspeeder and rocketed towards the apartment to render aid. He began to sense a growing presence of the Dark Side in the apartment, and was now worried that Master Windu could be outnumbered. Feeling a sudden burst of dark power, Malik looked up just in time to see Master Windu being blasted from the apartment window by the Chancellor’s Force Lightning. He adjusted course and aligned his speed with Windu’s to be able to safely catch him.

“Master Windu! Hang on!”

The Jedi’s form was easy to spot against the backdrop of the building, as his body still sparked and crackled from the Chancellor’s blast. With great effort, he managed to catch him at last just as Master Windu was about to be hit by an oncoming airspeeder. Malik laid him across the back seat and began to inspect him, knowing he would need to work quickly to save his life.

“Severed hand... hyper pulse rate… he’s not got long,” he observed.

Calming himself with the Force, Malik first focused on Windu’s heart, working to bring his pulse back down to normal levels after the electric shock. Soon, it began to slow, and his breathing, though still labored, became more metered and regular. Next, Malik turned his attention to the stump where Windu’s right hand once was. Before he could begin his work, Windu suddenly regained consciousness with a gasp.

“NO!”

“Master Windu, you’re alright! Just relax, I’m working on healing you,” Malik instructed. “What happened? Can you tell me?”

“The… Chancellor… is the Sith… we’ve been… tracking,” Windu eked out.

“Did he do this to you?” Malik asked, pointing at the stump on Windu’s arm.

“N-no…”

“Then who? Who, Master?”

“S… Sky… Skywalker…”

“ _Anakin Skywalker_?!” Malik asked in disbelief.

“He has… turned… to the Dark Side… I can sense it…”

Feeling his vitals begin to drop again, Malik resumed his work. “Master, your body is still in shock from the pain of losing your hand. I need to put you into a trance so that you can heal.”

“No!” Windu shouted. “Do what you… must… for the damage… and the pain… but my work… is not done… that’s an order.”

Sighing in frustration, Malik followed Windu’s instructions. Rather than place him in a healing trance as was customary, he instead focused on the nerves in Windu’s arm, now a cauterized stump. Concentrating with the Force, he managed to numb them for the moment, making Windu’s pain far more bearable. This had a pronounced and immediate impact on the Jedi Master, as he was then able to sit up of his own accord.

“We’ve got to get back to the Jedi Temple,” Windu stated. “Palpatine… he’s been behind everything. Count Dooku, the war, Skywalker… his goal has to be to wipe out the entire Jedi Order all along.”

“On it!” Malik said, climbing back into the pilot’s seat.

*****

Serra Keto sat in quiet meditation on the balcony of her quarters, reflecting on the events of the day. She was worried about what eventual punishment might soon befall her and Malik from their encounter in the gardens. Still, even knowing what might happen, she did not regret her actions. He was one of the few good, honest men in the galaxy, and selfless to boot. Malik would gladly run into a sea of blaster fire to save an injured friend, no hesitation. His resolve and kindness made Serra’s heart leap. The fact that he was also handsome didn’t hurt either. His lean, compact form, short blonde hair, and icy blue eyes… they were all intoxicating to her. Through everything that had happened, she knew how she felt about this man.

“Serra?”

Turning to the entrance to her quarters, she saw her old teacher. “Master, good evening.”

“How are you feeling?” the older man asked, joining her on the balcony.

“Fine.”

Serra was still a bit apprehensive, as the two had engaged in a heated argument earlier over her actions with Malik. Sensing this, Drallig sought to comfort her.

“Serra, I want you to know that our disagreement earlier changes nothing regarding my feelings for you. You are, and remain the most incredible pupil I have ever had the pleasure of teaching.”

“You mean that, Master?”

“I do. In a few years, I would not be surprised to see you replace me as Battlemaster!” he said with a grin.

“I… would love that,” Serra admitted. “Still, I doubt the Council would see fit to grant such a promotion, what with me and Malik…”

Though he at first thought to try and reassure her, a strange sight in the distance captured Drallig’s attention.

“Serra, do you see that?”

“Huh? Republic troop transports… why are they heading this way?”

“I don’t know, but I sense a dark presence with them.”

“Yes… I feel it also, Master. There is danger approaching.”

“Get your equipment ready. I’ll go alert the guards,” he said as he left.

Drallig hurried through the hallways of the temple, alerting everyone he could that trouble was likely on its way. Soon, he arrived at the balcony overlooking the Jedi Archives and main entrance to the Temple. Below, he saw his old friend, Jocasta Nu, talking with another Jedi. He could not be sure from the angle, but it appeared to be Anakin Skywalker.

“I need access to the Jedi Temple beacon,” the hooded figure said.

“On whose authority?” Jocasta replied.

“By the authority of the Supreme Chancelor.”

Drawing her blue lightsaber, Jocasta backed up a step and stated, “That is _not_ within the Chancellor’s power. Only the Jedi High Council can authorize access to the beacon.”

Drallig watched the horrifying scene unfold, seeing his old friend flung through the air and into Skywalker’s grasp. Jocasta Nu was soon impaled on his lightsaber, and he tossed her lifeless body aside. The other Jedi in the Archives immediately sprang into action, seeing Skywalker as a traitor. As Drallig was about to leap down and join them, he saw a battalion of Clone Troopers enter through the main gates, flanking Skywalker and opening fire on the Jedi.

_“Master! Can you hear me? What’s going on?!”_

Picking up his comlink, Drallig replied, “Serra, it’s Skywalker. He’s gone rogue, just murdered Jocasta Nu in cold blood.”

_“WHAT?!”_

“It’s about to be a bloodbath, we need you down here.”

_“Don’t think that’s wise. We’re also under attack at the east wall, holding firm but fading fast.”_

“I’m on my way, just stay alive!”

Drallig bounded through the temple at breakneck pace, enhancing his speed with the Force. As he ran, Clone Troopers began appearing from the windows, crashing in with jetpacks and grappling hooks. Drallig drew his green lightsaber and made short work of them, slicing through the first few as he continued his sprint. After a minute or two, he finally reached the east wall of the Jedi Temple. Seeing an enormous hole in the wall, the hallways were now under siege from a large number of clone troopers. As a nearby trio turned to fire upon the Jedi Master, a whirling green lightsaber flew past, beheading each of them.

“Master!”

Looking up, he saw his student. “Serra! What’s our status?!”

“The younglings are hidden, taken up to the Council Chambers. Right now, priority is containment. There’s just too many of them…”

“Then let us tip the odds back in our favor,” Drallig replied with a sly grin.

As another group of clones turned to attack him, the wily veteran activated his ace-in-the-hole: using the Force to move so fast he left afterimages of himself across the battlefield. The unsuspecting clones were so confused that they didn’t even know what had hit them by the time Drallig cut them down. Speeding off, he then approached a pair of clones with their backs turned to him. Drallig snuck up behind them and placed a hand on each one’s shoulder.

“Soldiers, the Jedi need your help,” he said calmly, probing their minds with the Force.

Glancing at each other, the clones said in unison, “The Jedi need our help.”

Having been mind-tricked, the pair turned upon their fellows, opening fire on a nearby group of clone troops. Their forced betrayal was short lived, though, and a lieutenant soon eliminated them with a flurry of blaster fire. But this distraction provided just the opening Serra needed, igniting her second green lightsaber and leaping into the fray. Her furious strikes took the remaining clones by complete surprise, which combined with Drallig’s speed and cunning for a devastating combination. As they dropped the last of the clones, a loud noise sounded from the hole in the east wall.

“Master! Two AT-RT walkers approaching!” Serra shouted.

The pair shifted to acrobatic maneuvers as the walkers entered the Jedi Temple, opening fire with their heavy blaster cannons. As they evaded, each tried to think of a way to combat their new adversaries. They could cut their legs, but the ankles were reinforced with small repulsor shields designed to resist lightsabers and blaster fire. But soon, Serra realized their fatal weakness: the open cockpit housing the pilot.

“Master, cover me! I have an idea!”

Drallig stood in front of Serra, shielding them both by levitating the large pieces of rubble strewn about the hallway. Meanwhile, Serra concentrated with her all on both of her lightsabers. In most instances, she would not dare use this attack, as it left her quite vulnerable. But today there was little other choice; she had to pull out all the stops. Drawing on the Force, she flung both of her lightsabers into the air. They spun towards the walkers and, before the clones could react, beheaded the two pilots.

“Whew… I can’t believe that worked!”

“Well done my friend,” Drallig said with a smile. “Now, we’ve got to get to the beacon. Skywalker wanted access to it, no doubt to lay a trap for all the Jedi off world.”

“Let’s go, then! This way!”

As Serra dashed off down a nearby hallway, a concussion missile from the gunships outside suddenly rocked the temple. This resulted in a statue falling to the ground, blocking the hall and separating Serra and Drallig.

“Serra, I’ll find a way around! Wait for me!”

“I can’t, Master. Anakin’s up ahead… I sense him. I… I’ve got to stop him.”

“Serra, don’t! He’s too much for you alone; you need my help!”

“I won’t stand by and watch him cause any more pain! I’m sorry, Master… I have to go.”

Sprinting down the hallway, Serra soon reached one of the large instruction rooms. She was then besieged by blaster fire from a trio of clones, but was able to defend with ease. Killing two of them by reflecting their shots back at them, she leaped high into the air and landed with a thunderous kick in front of the final clone, slicing off his head before he could react. As the helmet clattered to the ground, Serra now saw the person at whose feet the helmet had landed. It was Anakin Skywalker himself.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Serra stated, glaring at him.

“Serra… Cin Drallig’s greatest pupil has come to greet me.”

A sinister smile grew on Skywalker’s face; he relished this moment to embarrass one of the most skilled young Jedi in the Order. He ignited his blue lightsaber and leapt to the center of the training room, beginning his offensive assault on Serra Keto. Despite his relentless strikes, Serra was able to defend with relative ease, given her mastery of fighting with dual lightsabers. Her green blades clashed with Skywalker’s, defending against his furious fighting style while seeking to find a weak point to strike at. Soon, their blades were locked together as the two combatants stared each other down. Knowing he was far stronger and more skilled than she, Serra decided to adopt a strategy of forcing Skywalker into a mistake through his recklessness.

“Seems the rumors are true,” she mused.

“What are you babbling about?”

Serra smirked. “The Dark Side _does_ make you ugly.”

Growling in reply, Skywalker swiped at her with his weapon as his anger began to grow into hate. The superiority of all the Jedi… it disgusted him. They needed to be put in their place, and he was just the one to do it.

“TAKE THIS!” he shouted, whirling around with his lightsaber like a tornado.

“Woah!” Serra said.

After evading and deflecting his blows, Serra flipped over his head and attempted to grab him in a stranglehold from behind. Though she was successful in grappling with him, she was unable to run him through as she had planned.  
Skywalker, picking up on her strategy, used the Force to fling both of them straight backwards into a nearby wall, stunning Serra from the blow and forcing her to release him. He then attempted to end the duel then and there, striking at the center of her chest, but Serra managed to parry and leap out of the way, gaining a bit of breathing room. Noticing a large piece of machinery attached to the wall, she called on the Force and jarred the equipment loose, flinging it at Skywalker. He rolled out of its path at the last second, slicing a piece of the machine off as it flew past him.

“You’ll wish you hadn’t done that…” he seethed in anger.

As he charged Serra’s position, she was caught off-guard by the renewed ferocity of his attacks. Twirling his lightsaber in one hand, the power of his blows skyrocketed and he began enhancing his speed and strength with the Force, driving her back. She attempted to Force Push Skywalker back to interrupt his momentum, but he simply shrugged off the attack and pressed on. With a pair of backflips, Serra soon had to retreat to the balcony encircling the training room from the upper level. Skywalker followed without hesitation, resuming his assault on Serra. She was once more being driven back and now was running low on stamina. Serra knew she would have to end this quickly or she would not survive the battle.

Defending against a few more of Skywalker’s blows, she managed to find an opening to deliver a kick square in his chest. This threw him back and pinned him against a nearby pillar. Seeing her chance, Serra rushed forward, attempting to decapitate Skywalker with her twin blades, but he was too fast for her. He leapt out of the way at the last instant, causing Serra to only slice the pillar in half. Thinking fast, Skywalker called on the Force and began to topple the pillar on top of Serra. She saw what he was attempting, but was too exhausted from their duel to defend properly. Her evasion attempt failed, and she was thrown from the balcony to the floor below, the pillar landing on top of her before rolling away.

“Serra!!!”

Cin Drallig had arrived just in time to see his friend and pupil fall to the floor, her body now cold and limp. He glared up at Skywalker, still prowling on the balcony above.

“Your favorite student is no more,” he taunted.

Without a word, Drallig ignited his green blade as Skywalker leapt down to engage him. He seethed with righteous fury at the loss of his student, yet refused to channel the Dark Side; Serra’s vengeance deserved to be pure, he reasoned. Defending against several of Skywalker’s power strikes, he channeled as much energy as he could and Force Pushed the traitor out a nearby window.  
When he landed on the outer terrace, Drallig charged after him without hesitation or fear of any danger; Skywalker had to be stopped.

*****

“No…”

Malik and Windu arrived at the Jedi Temple in his airspeeder, horrified at the devastation being wrought on the residents. As they made their way through the hallways, they discovered the bodies of both Jedi and clones alike. Though many of the Jedi had been slain by blaster fire, it was evident to the pair that the stronger ones had been struck down by a lightsaber instead.

“Skywalker,” Windu sighed.

“Where would he be headed, Master?”

Thinking for a moment, Windu realized Skywalker’s goal. “The beacon!”

Working their way towards the center of the temple, they soon came upon the lightsaber training rooms. Seeing that a nasty battle had taken place here quite recently, they began to search the area for survivors. Both were horrified to discover the crushed body of Serra Keto on the floor ahead of them.

“Serra! NO!!!” Malik cried, rushing to her side. Inspecting her body, he at first mourned her apparent death, but soon was able to sense the truth through the Force. “She’s alive! Hanging by a thread, but she’s not gone yet!”

“Can you save her?” Windu asked.

“It’ll take some doing, but I think so. She’s lucky the pillar rolled off her,” he replied, nodding at the nearby piece of stone.

Malik drew on all his knowledge and abilities as he inspected Serra’s body. Her pulse was faint, and her breathing was almost nonexistent; he knew he hadn’t much time. He first attempted to use the Force to strengthen her heartbeat, hoping that would bring her out of the shock of her injuries, but to no avail. Out of desperation, Malik began to try anything he could think of to save the girl who meant so much to him.

“Serra, you’ve always said I’m such a good influence on you, provided logic and reason where your emotions would blind you, but you’ve also been the same for me. So you aren’t leaving, not after all this!” Feeling something strange awaken within him, Malik placed his hands on Serra’s chest and pressed down.

“BREATHE!!!”

Before he could even comprehend what he had done, a charge of electricity flowed from Malik’s hands and into Serra. Her body twitched at the sudden introduction, and upon further inspection Malik could tell that she was close to recovering. Though he had no idea how, he managed to shock her once more, causing Serra to gasp and startle herself awake.

“NO!!!” she screamed on instinct.

“It’s ok! You’re ok, Serra! It’s me, Malik.”

“M… Malik?” she asked, coughing and heaving.

“Yeah… you gave us a scare, but you’ll be-”

Serra silenced him by planting a kiss on his lips. She was unable to help herself; she already knew how she felt about this man, and now he had just saved her life! Malik was so stunned he couldn’t believe what was happening. He knew this was wrong, but she was so beautiful. With her soft lips pressed against his, Malik was powerless to do anything to stop her. At last, they parted, panting and heaving from the experience. Serra then caught sight of Mace Windu out of the corner of her eye.

“M-Master Windu…”

“More important things to deal with right now, Serra,” Windu replied, waving her off. “Malik, do you have any idea what you just did?”

“I think so… Force Lightning.”

“Yes, but unlike any I’ve ever seen in a Jedi as young as you. You managed to draw out a power of the Dark Side without being consumed by it… only one other Jedi has managed to do that.”

“Master Plo Koon?”

“Indeed. He calls his ‘Electric Judgment,’ of course, but the principle remains the same. You may have far greater potential in you than I ever realized. After all, you used a power of the Dark Side to give life, rather than take it!”

A muffled gasp from Serra interrupted their thoughts.

“Shh, easy there. You’re still hurt,” Malik said. “You’re breathing, but I think your ribs are broken. Hold still… this may hurt a bit.”

Focusing on Serra’s ribcage, Malik channeled the Force into her cracked and broken bones. She squirmed in pain and discomfort, but he assured her the process was working. He could sense her bones being mended, and continued to provide a stabilizing touch with his hands. Finally, the pain subsided and Serra was able to sit up without much discomfort.

“Thanks…” she sighed. Hearing a commotion outside, she realized that Cin Drallig had likely engaged Skywalker. “Master!”

Serra leapt to her feet and dashed to the broken window ahead of her, followed by Malik and Windu. She peered out onto the terrace, seeing her Master’s blade locked with Skywalker’s. Drallig was giving the war hero everything he could handle, dashing around the terrace at blinding speeds and attacking from every angle imaginable. But Skywalker was cunning, and telekinetically shifted some of the rubble on the terrace to trip Drallig up. The veteran slowed, but still managed to defend against Skywalker’s counterattack, Force Pushing him to gain some breathing room.

“Always a powerful warrior, yet so impatient,” he lectured. “You failed to learn how to be fully at peace with the Force and so turned to the Dark Side.”

“I… am no longer… the LEARNER!!!” Skywalker shouted in rage.

Using the Force to sense and predict Drallig’s movements, he anticipated his oncoming attack and hurled his lightsaber into the air. Before any could comprehend what had happened, the blade was lodged in Cin Drallig’s chest, killing him instantly. One of the greatest swordsmen the Jedi Order had ever seen was dead.

“No… Master…” Serra cried from the window.

“Serra, get down!” Windu scolded her, pulling them out of sight of Skywalker.

“What are you doing?! We have to stop him!” she protested.

“Engaging him now would not be courageous, it would be foolish,” Windu replied. “He is not just drawing on the Dark Side, I have no doubt he has sided with Palpatine to become a true Sith! We three are nothing to him. Malik specializes in healing, not combat. You nearly died a moment ago. And I’ve lost my weapon… and my hand. No, attacking would not be the prudent move at this point.”

“Besides, Skywalker thinks you two are dead,” Malik observed.

“That’s true,” Serra realized. “We have the element of surprise… but how to use it to save the Order?”

“By now, it may be too late,” Windu admitted. “The Jedi Temple has fallen, and I can only imagine that Palpatine has some contingency plan for the clones to turn on the Jedi. I would wager he has executed it already. As for the beacon, I could override any false message Skywalker placed within it… if the security access were not coded to my right hand.”

“So there’s nothing we can do…” Malik realized.

“Right now, no. I recommend we make our escape,” Windu agreed. “The fact that two of us are supposed to be dead is a tremendous advantage, and we must bide our time until the opportune moment.”

“It seems you’re right,” Serra agreed. “So how do we escape undetected?”

“Follow me,” Windu said with a grin.

The trio made their way through a series of hidden passages and stairwells, traveling deep into the depths of the Jedi Temple. None of these areas had been touched by the onslaught; Malik and Serra speculated that only the Council knew about them. They soon arrived at a secret hangar containing a single starship.

“What is that?” Malik marveled.

“ _That_ is one of the most treasured relics from the early days of the Jedi,” Windu explained. “She’s a _Defender_ -class corvette, the last of her kind. The High Council has had possession of her for generations, taking the initiative to preserve and maintain the ship. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore…”

“Talk about an escape plan,” Serra mused.

“The only situation in which we are to use this ship is an emergency. I think tonight qualifies as just that. You two get on board and start the departure process, I’ll open up the hangar,” Windu instructed.

Serra and Malik traversed the boarding ramp and made their way to the cockpit, powering up the ship’s systems. Meanwhile, Windu activated the hangar doors, which began to slowly slide open. But as they did so, they were surprised to see an approaching gunship of clones. When the ship placed its searchlight directly on Master Windu, the Jedi knew they were discovered.

“Go! Take off!” Windu shouted into his comlink.

“What?! Master, we won’t leave you behind!” Malik protested.

“That’s an order, Malik!” Windu replied, dashing towards the ship.

Sighing, Malik said to Serra, “Get us in the air. I’m going to try and help Master Windu aboard.”

“Will do.”

Malik hurried to the boarding ramp, keeping it open as the ship began to rise into the air. He saw Master Windu running in his direction, narrowly evading the missiles and blaster fire from the gunship.

“Master! Grab my hand!” Malik called out.

Windu called on the Force and leapt into the air, managing to just grab the edge of the boarding ramp with his remaining hand. Malik dove forward, grabbing the hand to try and keep him from falling. By this time, the gunship had turned its attention to their new ride.

“Serra, I’ve got him! Get us out of here!”

The thrusters roared to life and Serra blasted the ship off into the night air of Coruscant. But with the gunship hot on their tail and peppering their hull with blaster fire, gaining enough altitude to break the atmosphere was difficult. Meanwhile, Malik struggled to try and bring Windu aboard.

“You’re hand’s too sweaty, Master! I need your other arm!”

Try as he might, the toll from Windu’s previous battle with Palpatine was weighing heavily on his body. His muscles still ached from the electric shocks he had endured. Attempting to use the Force to help lift him up onto the ramp, Windu’s hand slipped from its grip.

“No!” Malik cried, desperately grabbing his wrist. “Master… hold… on!”

“I… don’t think I can…” Windu heaved with resignation.

“No… no, don’t give up!”

“It’s ok, Malik. I’ll be ok… I was never supposed to survive that battle with Palpatine anyhow. This… this is the will of the Force.”

“Master…”

Malik struggled for a few moments more with Windu’s weight, but it proved to be too much. Soon, the Jedi Master had slipped from his grasp and fell to the city streets below. All the while, Mace Windu kept the same look of confidence and determination on his face that he had become famous throughout the Order for. Soon, Malik could no longer sense Windu’s presence in the Force. He was gone. Walking up the ramp and into the ship, Malik sighed as he closed the access hatch, preparing the ship for entry into outer space. As he entered the cockpit, Serra gave him a concerned look.

“Where’s Master Windu?”

“He… he couldn’t hold on. Not with one hand, and not with his injuries. He’s dead, Serra.”

Reaching over to hold his hand, she replied, “You did everything you could, Malik. It’s not your fault.”

Before he could respond, the ship was again rocked by blaster fire from the gunship on their tail. But now that Malik was on board, they were capable of defending themselves. He pulled up the remote targeting systems from his copilot’s chair and fired a series of precision shots at the gunship. Though it was heavily armed, the clone vessel had little in the way of armor or shields. A few light hits were all it took to throw them off the trail. Now in the clear, Serra engaged the thrusters and took off into the stratosphere. The two Jedi had no idea where they would go or what they would do. They only knew that they no longer had the Jedi Order to rely on. For the time being, they were on their own…


	2. Chapter 2

“Serra, they’re on our tail!”

“I see them! Hang on!”

Serra Keto and Malik Ran rocketed through the Coruscant system, the Republic navy chasing after them all the while. The Z-95 Starfighters were fast, but their antique Defender-class light corvette held up splendidly, able to evade most incoming attacks. Not to mention that it was also quite well armed.

“Get the hyperspace coordinates programed, I’ll keep ‘em at bay,” Malik said.

“On it!”

Malik pulled up the targeting computer, tracking the fighters behind them. He figured he wouldn’t be able to destroy them, but if he could just throw them off a bit, it would give them their chance to escape. As he placed them in his sights, a transmission came in over the comlink.

_“Unidentified ship, you have entered Imperial space without permission. Identify yourselves.”_

“Don’t respond,” Malik said to Serra. “The less they know, the better.”

“Agreed.”

Deciding to send a reply with actions, Malik took careful aim at the nearest starfighter and let loose a volley of blaster fire. He managed to wing the ship, forcing the pilot to abandon the chase, but his comrades now knew them to be hostile and engaged as such. They opened fire, but the shields on the Jedi ship were stronger than they anticipated, deflecting most of their attacks. Meanwhile, Malik continued to throw them off with his shots, forcing them to roll and evade.

“Ok, we’re ready!” Serra shouted.

“Get us out of here!”

Malik strapped himself in just in time as the ship accelerated to light speed. Soon, the capital of their once-great Republic had been left behind. The pair sighed in relief, relaxing back in their chairs.

“So… where are we headed?” Malik asked.

“Ord Mantell,” Serra replied.

“Ord Mantell?! Are you sure that’s wise?! The Clone Army is known to use that system as a base of operations!”

Serra smirked. “They use the _northern_ half of the planet as a base, but the southern half is nothing but abandoned junkyards. Trust me, they won’t find us, and we might find some salvageable parts in those junkyards to help us. And since we’ll be approaching from the south, they’ll never even see us coming.”

“Oh. Uh, good… good thinking,” Malik stammered, surprised at how well though out her plan was.

Placing the ship on autopilot, Serra continued, “We won’t arrive for several hours at least, and it’s been a rough day. What say we go relax for a bit?”

“Sounds good…”

Malik stood from his chair and began to explore the ship a bit. Near the cockpit stood the captain’s quarters. He and Serra would sort that out later, he figured. Moving down the main hallway, a couple of extra sleeping areas lined the walls on either side of the exit ramp. Finally, he found three rooms in the back of the ship. The first was a small, dark room with a large holomap computer, perfect for charting courses and planning missions. The second was a conference room, complete with advanced communications equipment. The last room appeared to be a meditation area, containing several cushions and sofas on which to relax.

“Perfect,” Malik said, taking a seat on the sofa.

“Mind if I join you?” came Serra’s voice from the door.

“Please.”

Rather than sit in a different seat, she moved to sit next to Malik on the sofa, sliding close to him in the process. As he seemed apprehensive and distant, she attempted to calm him by placing her hand on top of his. He recoiled at first, but did not move it away altogether.

“You ok?” she asked, concerned.

“I… I don’t know…” he admitted. “I feel like… I should have done more for Master Windu. I could have found a way to save him.”

“Malik, what’s the first rule of being a healer?”

“First do no harm, of course.”

“Oh yeah… ok what’s the _second_ rule of being a healer?”

Sighing, he knew exactly where she was going with this. “We save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn’t mean everybody.”

“Exactly. You didn’t kill Master Windu, Palpatine did. He didn’t die from your failure; he died in service to the Republic, in service to freedom. Don’t dishonor his memory with misplaced guilt.”

Seeking to comfort him, Serra moved closer, laying her head on his shoulder as she held his hand. She turned her face, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Although she wanted to go further, Serra then noticed that poor Malik’s head was hanging and slumped; he was so exhausted that he had passed out sitting up. She gently guided his body to lie across the sofa, and then placed herself in his arms to spoon against him. Before long, both Jedi were fast asleep.

*****

Some time later, Malik was awoken by an alert from the ship, indicating that their arrival at Ord Mantell was eminent. As his brain powered up, he became aware of a warm sensation against his body. Opening his eyes, he saw that Serra had fallen asleep in his arms, her gorgeous raven hair mere inches from his face. Soon, she began to stir as well.

“Morning Malik,” she mumbled. “How’d you sleep?”

“Not as restless as I thought I would.”

“I’ll take it,” she replied with a sweet giggle.

After untangling themselves from each other, the pair made their way back to the cockpit to make preparations for arrival. Serra ensured the shields were running strong, while Malik checked that the weapon systems were armed and ready. If they should run into any Republic warships, they wanted to be prepared. But as they dropped out of light speed, both were pleased to find that they were the only ship in the vicinity.

“Huh… guess the clones were called away.”

“Not that surprising. Here, check out this transmission that came through while we slept,” Serra said.

The pair listened to a special session of the Senate, during which Chancellor Palpatine elaborated on a failed plot by the Jedi to overthrow him. With his warped face, he now had the look of a true Sith Lord. Alongside tremendous support from the politicians, he then announced the reorganization of the Republic into the Galactic Empire. This was supposed to ensure a “safe and secure society,” but both Jedi could tell that this was the Chancellor’s, now the Emperor’s, plan all along: a final bid for nearly unlimited power. As thunderous applause echoed throughout the Senate, Serra cut the transmission off, disgusted by what she saw.

“So this is it… the Sith won…”

“Not in my book,” Malik replied with confidence. “They may have beaten us, driven the Jedi into hiding, but as long as the ways of the Light Side of the Force exist, so will the benefits they bring. We just have to do as much good as we can for this galaxy. And avoid getting caught, of course.”

Serra brightened a bit. “I actually had a thought on that last goal. Looking at the ship’s configuration, it would be easy to modify it. It is a Corellian design, after all. For example, if we can find the right parts on Ord Mantell, I bet I could install a cloaking device. There’s already a hidden stash of stygium crystals onboard; they’re the primary component to cloaking devices.”

“You could do that?” Malik asked in wonder.

“Of course! Don’t forget, I’ve always been on par with Skywalker as far as my mechanical skills and piloting capabilities.”

“True, I had forgotten that. All right then, let’s head for the surface. Where do we start?”

“How ‘bout here?” she asked, pointing at their navigation panel. “This section of the planet contains the largest junkyard in the hemisphere. I’d be shocked if it doesn’t have what we’re looking for.”

“Sounds good.”

Serra piloted their ship down to the surface of the planet, landing amongst a heap of abandoned parts and scrap. Exiting the ship, she now saw that the junkyard seemed to stretch into infinity. Doubts began to creep into her mind. What was she thinking in coming to this place?

“You’re attacking the problem all wrong, Serra,” Malik grinned, seeing her worry.

“Huh? How so?”

“You’re only inspecting this junkyard visually, hoping to see with your eyes the parts we need. That’s worse than a needle in a haystack. But we are Jedi… the Force can guide us. You know what parts we need. Picture them in your mind, and allow the Force to take over.”

While a pure connection to the Force had never been Serra’s strength, she did manage to quiet her mind as Malik instructed. As in-tune with the Force as he was, she trusted that what he was describing was indeed possible, even for a brash young Jedi like her. Reaching out with the images of the machinery in her mind, she began to feel the invisible tug of the Force. Compelled to follow it, she and Malik traversed the junkyard for an hour or so, trusting only in their instincts to guide them. At last, they arrived at the top of a pile of junk, looking down into a valley of sorts.

“Down there,” Serra said.

Jogging down the hill, they began to search the area for whatever it was the Force was leading them to. Finding parts for the primary body of a cloaking device took no time at all, as these were quite commonplace. The computer core, housed in the balloon-like top of the device, would be trickier. But thanks to the Force, Serra soon came upon part of an old, beat-up cloaking device. Only the top half remained, but that was exactly what she needed; the rest of the parts would suffice to get it working again.

“How do we get this back to the ship?” Malik wondered.

“Here, got an idea,” Serra replied. Pulling a large, flat piece of rectangular-shaped metal from the rubble, she continued, “Let’s load everything onto this, and we’ll levitate it with us back to the ship, like a flatbed.”

“Perfect!”

The pair got to work on their spoils, being careful to load the parts in such a way that they would not be damaged during transport. Once everything was secure, they began to make their way back to the ship. It was slow going, as their concentration was focused on keeping their cargo stable. While this was quite easy for Malik, Serra began to grow fatigued about halfway through. But after a few minutes’ rest, she had recovered enough to make it back to the ship. All the while, she couldn’t help but smile at how patient Malik was with her. He never looked down on her or thought less of her just because he was stronger with the Force than she. Serra liked that. Hell, she liked everything about this man.

“We’re here,” Malik said, interrupting her daydreams.

While Malik spread the parts out underneath the ship, Serra went onboard and found the stash of stygium crystals to power the cloaking device. As she was the better mechanic, Malik allowed Serra to take the lead on the project, following her instructions as they came. She began by hotwiring the power cells in the bottom half of the machine, which was quite easy for her. There was no true standard for this part of the device, just as long as everything ran with efficiency and did not overheat. Serra then turned her attention to the beat-up computer core they had found. After making several adjustments to the circuitry within, she installed the stygium crystals in the center of the device and began to wire the halves together. Using a small computer, she performed several diagnostics, and found that the device was indeed operational.

“We did it!” Serra exclaimed in joy.

“You did it,” Malik emphasized.

Serra jumped up, grabbing Malik in a celebratory hug for a moment. While he was hesitant at first, he found he rather enjoyed feeling her warmth against him; he had noticed the same thing earlier when they woke up together. Even though both of them were filthy from their trip through the junkyard, he still found the scent of her hair intoxicating. Before he could react further, Serra separated from him.

“Come on, help me get this installed.”

Serra opened up the access hatch underneath the ship and climbed in, preparing the space for the cloaking device. Once she was ready, Malik levitated the eight-foot-tall machine up through the hole, keeping it steady for her. Serra made quick work of the installation, and soon their new acquisition was ready for its first official test. The pair climbed aboard and powered the ship up.

“Here’s hoping this works…”

“I know it will,” Malik said with a smile.

Once all systems were running, Serra connected to the cloaking systems and activated the device. At first, nothing happened. But after a moment or two, the device in back hummed to life, and the ships sensors confirmed what the two Jedi had hoped would happen: their ship was now undetectable. Once this was confirmed, she powered off the ship to conserve power, as it was growing late in the day.

“Impressive,” Malik marveled.

“This’ll make it easier for us to find a safe port,” Serra agreed.

As the sun sank low over the horizon, the pair adjourned to the relaxation area, grabbing a couple of ration packets along the way. They ate in silence for the most part, still exhausted from the events of the last few days. Malik flipped through news reports on the monitor near him, piecing together the events of the Rise of the Empire. Though the Senate gave overwhelming support to the move, several systems remained hesitant. Among the most notable of these was Alderaan, a system famed for its society of peace and tranquility. Their leader and senator, Bail Organa, was also a known friend to the Jedi, having worked with the Order on humanitarian projects throughout the war. If any could be trusted to keep their existence a secret, he could. Upon sharing his thoughts with Serra, she agreed, saying Alderaan should be their next destination. At that time, the pair received an encoded message directly from the Jedi Temple.

_“This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take its place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. Avoid Coruscant. Avoid detection. Be secret… but be strong. We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere and, in time, I believe a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you always.”_

“So… that’s it,” Serra sighed.

“Looks like it. At least Kenobi managed to send out the distress signal. Do you think any survived besides him?”

“If I know Master Yoda, he’s far too wise to have been caught off-guard by this. He’s alive… I’m certain of it.”

“And if he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be. Still, I think this confirms our next course of action. We have so few people we can trust left in the galaxy, but Bail Organa is one of them. I doubt he’ll remember me personally, but I’m sure he would help us.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Yawning with a stretch, Serra said, “It’s getting late. We’d better get some sleep before our trek tomorrow.”

“Agreed. Um… seeing as you’re our pilot, I think it’s only fair to, uh, let you have the captain’s quarters. I’ll sleep in a bunk tonight.”

Serra eyed him, a knowing look in her eye. “Is that _really_ what you want to do?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Come on, Malik, we slept together last night.”

“Yes, but not on purpose. We just… passed out.”

“Well… maybe _you_ didn’t do it on purpose. But I snuggled right up next to you. I knew exactly what I was doing. And I’m not sorry,” she said, leaning close to him. “Malik… neither of us can deny how we feel.”

“But… the Order-”

“The Order has fallen,” Serra reminded him. “Malik, all we have left is the Force… and each other. I’ve meditated night and day about my feelings for you, and every time I try to follow Master Yoda’s advice and let go of anything that might become an attachment, I cant. Not when it comes to you. Every time I do, I feel something, a tremor in the Force. It tells me that it’s the wrong thing to do. It tells me… we need each other.”

Sighing, Malik admitted, “I’ve felt the same exact thing you just described. I’m just such a damn rule-follower, I guess. That’s why I’m hesitating.”

“There’s nothing wrong with doing things by-the-book, when the book is just and makes sense. But we’re taught that we are, above all else, servants to the will of the Force. And if the Force is willing us to be together… then we should.”

Their eyes locked, unable to look away. Malik peered into her deep, brown eyes; Serra gazed right back into his icy blue ones. Their breaths began to synchronize, and they again felt a push from the Force. It drew them not apart, but together. The two Jedi leaned closer, mere inches separating their faces. At last, Serra could wait no longer. Placing a gentle hand on Malik’s cheek, she drew him in and pressed her lips to his, feeling the warmth of his touch. He was slow to respond, as she expected, but soon found himself unable to resist this incredible woman.

The pair kissed for quite some time, slowly exploring each other and savoring the warmth of human contact. Their actions soon became stronger, and Serra lightly prodded at Malik’s lips with her tongue. Without even realizing it, he parted his lips and allowed her entry, and soon their tongues were intertwined with each other. While he was surprised by this new sensation, Malik did not fight it; there was no going back at this point. Finally, they parted from each other, panting in arousal from the experience. Without a word, Serra took his hand and stood, leading him down the hall to the captain’s quarters.

They found the room to be spacious, yet simple. A desk sat in one corner, and a small table with two chairs in another, both holding a small lamp. Ahead of them stood a large, comfortable bed with brown linens. As Malik moved to switch on one of the lamps, Serra sat on the bed, smiling at him the whole time. She then kicked off her boots and began to unstrap the pieces of leather armor around her chest and shoulders, revealing her plain off-white tunic. Malik’s mouth dried out as she began to uncover her form; her beauty was truly breathtaking.

Sensing his uncertainty, Serra stood and sauntered over to him, drawing him in for another kiss. As she did so, she moved her hands up his chest and pushed his brown cloak off of his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. She then moved her hands back to his chest, unwrapping the fabric of his tunic and pulling it out of his pants. Malik was powerless to stop her, and surrendered himself to Serra. Soon, she had finished with his shirt and pulled it up and over his head, exposing his bare chest to her. Serra smiled at this, and decided to give Malik a similar view, crossing her arms in front of her and lifting her top off. He could now see that his previous observations about her form were spot on: her beauty was stunning. He had always admired her porcelain skin, and was now further entranced by the addition of her large, soft breasts. Malik knew she was shapely, but hadn’t realized the extent, as her armor concealed her form in most cases. But tonight, he did not see her as a warrior. Tonight, she was simply a woman, one who wanted nothing more than to be with him.

“Malik,” Serra whispered. “You can touch me.”

“Are… you sure?”

Taking his hand in hers, she raised it and placed it on her breast. “Positive.”

Malik was speechless once again. He could feel how soft she was, and he couldn’t resist moving his other hand forward to cup both her breasts. They were quite large, a bit larger than his hands, and contained a pair of tiny pink nipples. He spent several minutes exploring every inch of them, soon discovering that Serra gasped every time his fingers touched her nipples.

“Are you alright?” he asked in concern.

Nodding, Serra replied, “Better than alright… that feels so wonderful…”

As Malik continued caressing her globes, Serra couldn’t resist joining in the fun and began inspecting his strong chest with her hands. Though not rippling with muscles, he was lean and quite well toned thanks to his daily exercises. Medics had to be ready to run at a moment’s notice, after all. She continued down his chest before tugging at his belt. When he gave no protest of her efforts, she leaned in to kiss him and began undoing the buckle. After a moment of fiddling with it, she at last managed to loosen it and, kneeling in front of him, slid his pants and undergarments down in one motion.

Serra stared in wonder at the object now in front of her. She of course had an academic knowledge of human anatomy, but seeing the real thing inches from her face was far more impressive. Malik’s cock was already hard from their foreplay, extending about seven inches and perhaps two inches in diameter. As much as she was nervous about managing it, Serra wanted nothing more than to feel him inside her, filling her up.

“May I… touch it?” she asked.

“S-sure.”

Serra reached out a gentle hand, brushing her fingers along his length. She could feel it was not only hard, but also possessed a spongy texture. As she continued inspecting him, she heard a muffled groan from Malik. Smiling, Serra knew he had to be going out of his mind.

“Enjoying yourself?” she asked, continuing to stroke him playfully.

“Uh… uh huh,” he managed to say.

As she stood, Malik kicked off his boots and the last of his pants in a hurry, not wanting to trip and look a fool. Still, Serra refused to relinquish her gentle yet firm grip on his member, even as she unzipped her pants. Kissing him on the cheek, she decided to see how much prodding Malik would need.

“Can you help a girl out?” she whispered into his ear.

In compliance, Malik reached his trembling hands down to Serra’s slim waist and slipped her pants over her hips, letting them fall to the floor. She now stood almost naked before him, clad in only a simple pair of white panties.

“M-maybe we should, um, move to the bed?” Malik asked, still unsure of himself.

Grinning, Serra replied, “Thought you’d never ask.”

Maintaining her grasp on his cock, she led him over to the bed and pulled back the covers. After a few quick kisses, she spun Malik around and pushed him down onto his back, causing him to laugh in surprise. With a lustful smile, Serra slipped her fingers into the waistband of her panties and slid them down, revealing a thin black landing strip leading down to her pussy lips. Crawling into bed with Malik, she pulled the covers up over them and lay in his arms, kissing his chest and neck all the while.

“I can see… why the Council forbade this,” Malik realized. “Impossible not to form emotional attachments.”

Straddling him, Serra gazed deep into his eyes. “Malik, I have no delusions about what we’re doing and what this means. This is an expression of self… I admit that, and I realize that such selfish decisions aren’t the Jedi way. But I also have no delusions about our current situation. Either of us could be killed any day now. Knowing that, I find that one of the greatest fears a Jedi faces is not present in my mind: the fear of losing you. Malik, I accept that we could be dead as early as tomorrow. And if that is the will of the Force, I will be nothing short of thankful to have known you… and given myself to you.”

As Serra positioned her slick entrance at the tip of his cock, both hesitated for a few moments. They waited for some sign that this was indeed the will of the Force. Finally, after a few moments, they felt a wave of serenity wash over them. It was the same nudge they had each felt individually, though stronger now. With it came a single word entering both of their minds.

_Together._

Malik nodded, and Serra began to descend. As she pressed her pussy against him, she felt a twinge of pain. Given his intimate familiarity with human anatomy, Malik had anticipated this, and gave a soft kiss to Serra’s lips, easing the transition. A few drops of blood dribbled down his length, but the pain in her eyes soon subsided. Pressing on, Serra continued to engulf him, finally arriving at the base of his cock. The sensations were incredible; she felt so full, so complete. They were connected in every physical, mental, and spiritual way imaginable. Peering into his eyes, Serra could tell that Malik was feeling the same sensations as she. She then leaned down and took his face in her hands, planting a long, sensuous kiss on his lips.

“You and me, Serra. Together,” he whispered as they parted.

Smirking, she retorted, “The Empire has no clue what they’re in for.”

As the pair giggled from her crack, Serra began to work Malik’s length with her pussy. She found several different methods with which to stimulate him, each with different results. Beginning by raising and lowering herself along him, she saw that he enjoyed that a great deal, but that it was a bit less pleasurable for her. Next, she took his full length within her and circled her hips, feeling his cock stretch out her insides and explore every inch of her. Serra loved that, though Malik’s reactions were lukewarm. Finally, she placed her hands on his chest and began to grind back and forth along his pelvis. This produced exactly the result she was looking for: simultaneous pleasure.

Malik’s eyes bulged from her efforts, and Serra began to feel a powerful tingling between her legs. Their pair’s actions became more passionate by the second, beginning to be lost in their desire for each other. For Malik, he was not only overwhelmed by Serra’s womanhood, but also by her gorgeous breasts jiggling inches from his face. Serra, on the other hand, kept her eyes shut, feeling his length sliding in and out of her. This combined with his strong hands on her back, beginning to push her over the edge. Feeling the end near, the couple locked eyes, refusing to look away as their orgasms approached. At last, they wordlessly climaxed together, Malik’s seed filling Serra’s convulsing pussy.

She rolled to the side as her spasms subsided, keeping his face cradled in her hands the entire time. For the longest time, they said nothing. There was no need. Their joining was complete. Listening to her contented sighs, Malik couldn’t resist kissing her hands and fingers a bit as they rested on his neck. Serra found that she was still quite sensitive in the aftermath of their lovemaking, and couldn’t even manage to return his affections without a series of squirms and spasms. After several minutes, the couple began to drift off to sleep, maintaining physical contact all throughout the night.

*****

Malik awoke first the next morning, finding himself alone in bed. Though he worried at first, he soon heard sounds coming from the attached bathroom. He figured Serra was cleaning up in the shower. After all, they had both worked up a large amount of dirt with their trip through the junkyard yesterday. After a few minutes, the water shut off and Serra emerged back into the bedroom.

“Good morning, sleepy,” she said, her wet hair glistening from the sunlight peeking in through the window.

Before Malik could reply, Serra had already leaped back into bed, kissing him passionately and giggling the whole time. After a minute of this, she calmed down again and laid her head on his chest. They cuddled lazily for a while before deciding they had delayed their labors for long enough. Redressing herself in her traditional Jedi clothes, Serra made her way to the cockpit and powered the ship up to perform diagnostics. Malik took a shower himself, finishing in record time, as he knew they didn’t need to stay in this system any longer than necessary. When he had finished and dressed, he saw that Serra was working in the cockpit, so he exited down the ramp and went to inspect their work from the day before. Everything appeared to be in order, until he saw a clone ship approaching in the distance.

“Serra, we’ve got company,” he said into his comlink.

“Shit! It’s a clone ship; they’ve probably spotted us already. They’re headed this way…”

“Is the cloaking device ready to go?”

“Not yet. It’s gotta warm up for a few minutes.”

“Ok. Keep working on it, I’ll buy us some time.”

“Please be careful, Malik.”

The ship landed nearby, a troop of clones exiting and jogging towards the Jedi vessel. Malik knew he would not be able to conceal the fact that he was a Jedi for long, so he placed the hood of his robes over his head, obscuring his face from view. Turning to face the soldiers, Malik kept his head low and his hands visible.

“Don’t move!” the commander barked. “Nowhere to run, Jedi!”

“Officer, there seems to have been a misunderstanding,” Malik replied calmly.

“Don’t even try it, son. We got word from the 501st division that a ship of this type escaped two days ago, firing upon Imperial ships over Coruscant as it left. You’re under arrest for high treason.”

Seeing the quartet of soldiers encircle him, Malik said, “I have no wish to do you any harm. None of you had any choice in your lives; you were practically enslaved from birth. Destined to fight. Please, don’t force me to hurt you. Just let me go. Tell your superiors you found nothing.”

“Silence! You’re under arrest!”

“Very well then.”

Before the soldiers could react, Malik’s powerful Force Push blew them back. As they hit the ground, he instantly drew his lightsaber from his belt and ignited the blue blade. Eying them for a moment, the healer in him refused to retaliate without giving them one final opportunity.

“Last chance, officers. This does not have to end in violence.”

“No… it’s [i]your[/i] last chance, Jedi. I’ve already got my full regiment of troops incoming from our ship!”

Malik could see that he was telling the truth, as a large mass of soldiers was making their way towards their ship.

“You really shouldn’t have done that…” Malik sighed, bringing his weapon into position.

“OPEN FIRE!!!”

The quartet began assaulting Malik with their blaster rifles, but the Jedi was more than ready. Being a medic, he specialized in defensive lightsaber combat, and in particular deflecting blaster bolts. Each soldier fired a half-dozen shots or so, but Malik remained unscathed, and even managed to deflect the shots into the ground to show them one last time he didn’t want to harm them. But as the regiment of clones approached, Malik now saw he would have no other choice.

“FIRE!” the commander ordered once more.

As the mass of soldiers attempted to end Malik’s life, he drew on the Force to aid him, in essence falling into a meditative state. This allowed him to deflect every incoming blast with little thought or effort. His rebounds began to pick off the clone troops bit by bit, soon whittling the group down to only ten. His lightsaber whirled around him in a flurry of light; the clones began to think that he was invincible. As they advanced to try and take him out, one of the soldiers was cut down in surprise.

“HA!” Serra cried, stabbing the soldier with one of her lightsabers.

“Serra!”

“Thought you might want my help.”

“Ah, I had it all under control,” Malik chuckled.

Three of the troops turned to fire upon Serra, but she merely shrugged off their efforts by spinning her lightsabers at rapid speeds. She then approached the trio with a couple of acrobatic tumbles, landing in the middle of them and taking them all out with a single blow. In the meantime, Malik had decided to go more on the offense, taking out three more soldiers with a few precision slashes. He and Serra ended up back-to-back, defending each other from the final group of clones, taking out two of the three with their deflected shots. As the final one realized he was alone, he began to back up in fear but tripped on a small pile of junk before he could run, dropping his blaster in the process.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Serra asked, approaching the soldier. She raised her swords, watching as the clone attempted to shield himself.

“Serra,” Malik said in a stern voice.

The Jedi said nothing in reply, but only smirked and swung one of her blades towards the ground. As Serra sliced his blaster rifle in half, the soldier fainted as a result of his near-death experience. Serra then turned back towards Malik, holstering her lightsabers at her belt with a confident grin.

“That wasn’t necessary,” Malik said, boarding the ship with her. “You didn’t need to terrify the man.”

“I know, but… I’d be lying if I said I don’t take the betrayal of the clones personally. We were friends and allies, after all.”

“Still, we’re better than that, Serra. Fear and revenge are not the Jedi way, even in this changing galaxy. Besides, the clones are programed for absolute loyalty. They had no choice in the betrayal. No, none of this was their fault; it was all Palpatine’s fault.”

Taking a seat in the cockpit, Serra sighed. “You’re right, of course. I’ll try to remember that.” With a quick kiss on his cheek, she said, “Thanks, Malik.”

“Anytime,” he replied with a grin.

With their ship now powered up, they lifted off from the junkyard and took off into space. As they broke through Ord Mantell’s atmosphere, Serra activated their new cloaking system, picking up an incoming ship on the scanners. Malik searched the radio frequencies in an attempt to listen in on their transmission.

_“Commander Jace, come in. Do you read? This is Sargent Fox of the 501st legion. Please respond!”_

“Sounds like they’re trying to backup their buddies down there,” Serra observed.

“Yep. Not to mention that they’ll have no idea where we went in the aftermath. Look how close they are to us, and they have no clue! Nice job on the cloaking unit, by the way.”

Serra smiled in reply and began plotting a course to their next destination: Alderaan. Once they were a safe distance away from the clone ship, she activated the hyperdrive and deactivated the cloaking systems. Soon, they were safely in hyperspace, away from the eyes of the Empire.

“Malik,” Serra said quietly. “There’s something I’ve been wondering.”

“What’s that?”

“Well… back on Coruscant. The last thing I remember was Skywalker throwing me from that balcony. At that point, I thought for sure I was dead. Then, I opened my eyes and there you were. You saved me, Malik. How? I… thought I heard either you or Master Windu mention Force Lightning, but I had to have been hallucinating from the pain.”

Sighing, Malik replied, “You weren’t hallucinating, Serra. I don’t know how it happened or what I did, but I was so determined to save you that I somehow unleashed an electric shock into your body. I don’t know what else it could have been; it had to be Force Lightning.”

“But that’s a power of the Dark Side, right? How did _you_ manage to use it?”

“I… I don’t know.” Thinking back to those moments, he continued, “I was at first devastated at your demise, but then was able to sense that you weren’t gone yet. I became determined to save you. Your life did not deserve to end so prematurely. I felt… something awaken within me. So strong was my desire to save a life, to save _your_ life that I was willing to use any measures I could think of to do so. Then it just… happened. I shocked you. Your body responded positively, so I somehow did it once again. That’s when you woke up.”

“So, you weren’t drawing on the Dark Side at all?”

“I don’t think so. If I had, Master Windu would have said something.”

“It must be because you were focused on its power to _give_ life, rather than take it,” Serra speculated.

“Maybe so…”

Turning to him, she said, “I think it would be worth exploring, to see if you can replicate it.”

“What are you talking about? This isn’t a power a Jedi should be using!”

“Lightning itself is simply a force of nature,” Serra countered. “Whether it is a power of the Dark Side or the Light Side depends on how it’s used. If you learn to use it to give life, to defend the innocent, how could that ever lead you down the path to the Dark Side?”

Thinking for a few moments, Malik muttered, “I suppose it’s worth looking into…”

“And if at any time either of us feels that you are straying down that path, we will stop immediately. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” he replied with a nod. Standing from his chair, he said, “Let’s get started.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Ok, here goes…”

Malik concentrated on the stack of rubber mats in front of him, trying his best to imagine them as a person in need of help. As they were dealing with lightning, an inherently uncontrollable force, he had decided using rubber mats would be the safest practice. He placed his hands on top of them, channeling the Force through his body and… nothing. Nothing happened. He tried once more, but still with no success.

“Huh… wonder what that means?” he asked.

“I think it comes down to your state of mind,” Serra speculated. “Remember, when you last used Force Lightning, it came as a reflex from your desire to save me, no matter what. You’ve got to find a way to replicate that feeling.”

“Ok then.”

Focusing once more on the mats, Malik quieted his mind and imagined them as Serra. He heard her labored breathing, saw her bruised body. He began to feel that same sense of desperation he had felt on Coruscant. She was dying, and he was the only chance she had. Either he acts, or she’s gone forever. Pressing down with his hands, a tiny electric shock flowed from them and into the rubber mats.

“WOAH!” Malik yelped, falling back onto his ass.

“Malik! You ok?” Serra asked, kneeling down next to him.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. I think that worked.”

“We should probably take a break; don’t want to push yourself too hard.”

“Nah, I’m good. Once more.”

Now with far more confidence in what he was doing, Malik practiced for several minutes with channeling Force Lightning. Soon, he was able to provide low-level shocks into the mats with consistency, enough to save most dying persons should their heart need a jump-start. His body was also growing accustomed to the feeling of electricity flowing through it. Should he ever attempt to use a stronger version of Force Lightning, Malik could tell that it would take immense focus and resolve to ensure he was not hurt in the process.

“Incredible…” Serra marveled.

“And all without drawing on the Dark Side,” Malik replied with a grin. “You were right. Lightning is just a force of nature. It’s how it’s used that makes it good or evil. Though I can see how easily drawn to the Dark Side someone who uses this technique could be. It’s an incredible amount of power. Using this skill, you can literally hold someone’s life in your hands.”

“The power to give life… and the power to take it. Still, I know you of all people can be trusted to use it properly,” said Serra, kissing him on the cheek.

With a tired sigh, Malik responded, “We should be arriving in the Alderaan system within an hour or so. I’m gonna to take a shower, clear my head from this training session.”

“Sounds good.”

Returning to their quarters, Malik stripped off his robes and laid them on the bed before entering the adjoining bathroom. Activating the controls, he increased the water temperature to be as hot as it safely could be. For several minutes, he did nothing but stand there, relaxing under the stream of the shower. All his fear and uncertainty over the last few days began to dissipate; though he did not know what the future held, he knew the role of the Jedi in the galaxy was far from over. As he soaked his blonde hair in the water flow, he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening behind him.

“Malik?”

“Serra? Everything ok?”

“Um, yeah. I was just… wondering if I might could join you.”

_Wow… she sure is forward._

“Uh… I guess, I mean I wouldn’t object or anything…” Malik stammered.

“Great!” Serra said with a sweet giggle.

Though Malik couldn’t see all the details through the fogged up shower door, the faint outline of Serra stripping out of her clothes was still quite a sight to behold. He gulped in anticipation, remembering well their actions from the night before. As much as he was worried about where their actions might ultimately lead them, he couldn’t deny how strong his feelings were for this woman. She meant the world to him, and he would gladly go to the ends of the universe to keep her safe. Soon, Serra opened the shower door and stepped inside, interrupting his thoughts.

“Ooh, you got the temperature perfect…” Serra purred as she stepped under the hot water.

“Yeah, I love it nice and warm.”

“Hmm. I bet you do…”

Realizing what he had said, Malik tried to backtrack. “Um, that’s not what I meant! I-”

“Shh, Malik you’re fine. I was just joking around with you,” Serra said, kissing him before he could protest. “You know me, I’ve got a bit of a mischievous streak. But only for your benefit.”

Malik smiled as he took in her breathtaking beauty. She had let her hair down, untying it from her customary pigtails and allowing it to flow down past her armpits. Serra just smiled right back at him as he stared; she didn’t mind his attention one bit. Leaning her head back, she wet her hair, creating a stunning vision of eroticism for Malik as the water cascaded down her milky white body. She soon opened her eyes, smiling at seeing him openmouthed.

Serra soon fell into his arms, squeezing him tight and squishing her breasts against his hard chest. They kissed and embraced for what seemed like years, enjoying the simple touches of each other. After a few minutes, she reached over for a bar of soap along the wall and began to rub it against Malik’s wet chest, spreading suds over his body. He then took the soap from her and lathered up his hands, beginning to wash her breasts and stomach from top to bottom. Serra enjoyed that a great deal, and began to return the favor by cleaning Malik’s hard abs.

Before long, each had made it to the other’s pelvic region. Though Malik still explored at his leisure, Serra went for just what she wanted, beginning to stroke his hard cock with her soapy hand. He buckled for a moment, but regained his balance enough to return the favor, slipping his finger into Serra’s pussy. She threw her other arm around his neck to steady herself, moaning in pleasure from their actions all the while.

As inexperienced as they both were with their sexuality, they found themselves approaching climax rather fast. Malik braced his hand against the wall of the shower as he drew on his anatomical knowledge and found Serra’s clit, her moans now becoming screams of ecstasy. She in turn increased the speed of her pumps, jerking his cock with everything she had. Somehow, they managed to remain standing throughout this entire ordeal, though neither knew how. After several minutes of their feverish actions, the couple climaxed together, coating each other’s hands in their respective juices. They said nothing, simply resting in a soft hug for some time after.

“Wow… holy shit, Malik.”

“Someone’s got herself a little potty mouth,” he chuckled in reply.

“Whatcha gonna do about it? Tell on me to the Council?” she teased back.

After a long, passionate kiss, he said, “Not on your life.”

Serra grinned a huge grin, gazing deep into his eyes. To Malik, she seemed to want to say something, but couldn’t bring herself to say so. As she opened her mouth and took a breath in, the ship alerted them of their arrival at the Alderaan system. Though she looked disappointed for a moment, Malik was unsure what about. He dismissed it as she exited the shower first, drying off with a nearby towel. Once they had dressed, they took their seats in the cockpit.

“Ok, cutting to sub-light engines,” Serra said.

The ship decelerated with a lurch, and the pair activated their cloaking systems, prepared in the event they encountered any Imperial ships. Soon, the planet Alderaan itself began to grow large ahead of them. From the cockpit, they could see the beautiful mountains and seas dotting the surface of the planet; it was a wondrous sight to behold.

“Wow… incredible. Way different than Coruscant,” Serra marveled.

“Oh yeah, I forgot you’ve never been here before. Every city they’ve built is designed to complement the surrounding environment, rather than impede it. Look, there’s the Royal Palace, where the Organa family lives. We’ll land on the outskirts and try to make our way there on foot. No need to attract unwanted attention.”

“Agreed.”

The Jedi soon found a wooded area at the foot of the mountain containing the palace, parking the ship in the midst of a tree-covered clearing. This provided an easy spot within which to hide their ship without having to engage the cloaking systems. After each gathered a bag of supplies, they disembarked the ship to inspect the area.

“Wow… so calm and peaceful,” Serra remarked.

“Yeah, I’ve always loved coming here.”

“Halt intruders.”

The pair turned to see a group of men in light blue uniforms approaching, each armed with force pikes. Malik heard another group moving in behind them, surrounding the two Jedi. Though Serra was on edge, Malik knew better than to let his anxiety get the best of him.

“Officers. How did you manage to find us so quickly?” he asked calmly.

Their leader replied, “This is Alderaan, son. Do you really think we wouldn’t have sensors installed to detect any disturbances to our ecosystems?”

Smiling, Malik nodded in understanding. “I’ll cut right to the chase, officers. We need to meet with Senator Organa right away.”

“Fine. Turn around, hands behind your backs.”

Serra looked worried at this proposition, but Malik squeezed her hand. “It’ll be just fine, Serra. Don’t worry.”

A short time later, the pair had been escorted to a luxurious receiving room in the palace, adorned with comfortable chairs and sofas. After standing in silence for a few minutes, the door on the opposite side of the room opened, revealing a tall, elegant man with a look of quiet confidence in his eyes.

“Well, well, well… it is good to see that there are more survivors of Order 66,” the man said. “Lieutenant, really? Binders? That is quite unnecessary; please release them. You may leave us in peace.”

“Of course, Senator.”

“Please, sit. I apologize for my guards, but they are rather cautious nowadays with the rise of the Empire.”

Now free of their restraints, the Jedi moved over to a sofa seated across from the man, a small table between them.

“Senator Bail Organa, I presume?” Serra asked.

“Yes, indeed,” he replied with a grin.

“Senator, I doubt you remember me, but-”

“Malik Ran, yes?”

“You do remember?”

“Of course! You’re the best medic in the Order, after all. We on Alderaan have long held Jedi Healers in particular esteem. The power to give life is such a magnificent gift, one that should always be celebrated,” Organa replied.

“Thank you, sir.”

“But of course. You have no idea how grateful I am to meet any Jedi that managed to avoid destruction. Now, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure, young lady.”

“Serra Keto. What do you know of those events?” Serra asked. “All we know for sure is that Anakin Skywalker turned against us and led the 501st legion in an attack on the Jedi Temple.”

“Well, the only Jedi that I am certain survived, besides yourselves, are Master Yoda and Master Kenobi. My ship picked them up in space as they made their escapes. That was after I witnessed the attack on the Temple firsthand. Saw a young Padawan blasted into oblivion by a group of clones. It was, in a word, disgusting…

“The official story from the Emperor’s office is that the Jedi attempted to overthrow the government and assassinate its leader. Every last Jedi has been blacklisted as a result, with several intelligence committees being formed to try and track down any stragglers. I’m sure you know of my opposition to these policies, as well as the formation of the Empire, but I’ve had to be rather modest in my objections for the time being.”

“Of course, play your cards close to the vest,” Malik nodded in understanding.

“You know you’re risking execution with this game you’re playing, right?” Serra asked him.

“I am well aware of the potential consequences. The general public supports these measures, by and large. They blame the Jedi for starting the Clone War. But that will not stop me from doing what I know to be right,” Bail replied with conviction.

“Dear? You did not tell me we had guests!” came a sweet female voice.

The group turned to see a beautiful woman in her late thirties, walking with elegant grace to sit next to Senator Organa.

“My friends, allow me to introduce you to my wife, and the ruler of Alderaan, Queen Breha Organa. My love, meet Serra Keto and Malik Ran. They are friends of our Obi-Wan and Yoda.”

“How wonderful to have you here,” she said, shaking each of their hands. “I am so happy to see that you arrived unharmed. Sadly, that is no longer a guarantee for anyone in this galaxy…”

“Thank you, Your Highness. Senator, at the risk of seeming rude and forward, we need your help,” Malik said.

“I had a hunch,” he chuckled in reply. “How are you two surviving?”

Serra answered, “We managed to escape Coruscant in a ship the Jedi Council had hidden away for emergencies only. Got here by way of Ord Mantell, found some parts there to build a cloaking device, but we still need to find a safe port.”

“Well, you will always be welcomed as friends here, though I do not know how safe a port this will be for you,” Bail reasoned. “After all, Alderaan is one of the most frequented locations in the galaxy. Besides, the Emperor will be keeping a close watch on us, what with our political disagreements.”

“Still, we have not had any Imperial agents visit us yet, so I imagine you will be safe here for a few days at least. As far as I am concerned, you are welcome on Alderaan anytime,” Breha chimed in.

“That’s so kind of you,” Serra smiled.

“It is the least we can do after everything the Jedi have done for the Republic over the years. While I opposed the Clone War altogether, I have nothing but respect for the soldiers and Jedi that put themselves in harms way for the safety of the people. That is always to be commended,” Bail said. “Ah, but enough talk of unpleasant topics. Let us find our guests a couple of bedrooms to rest in.”

“Yes… thank you.”

Malik realized suddenly that his romance with Serra was still a secret. She took his hand as they followed the Organas, nervous for two reasons. First, she had no desire to sleep apart from Malik. Second, she feared the reaction when and if they told someone of their relationship. She was not ashamed of her feelings for him, but it was a taboo topic for Jedi nonetheless.

“Dear,” Breha whispered to her husband. “Do you not think they would be more comfortable in a room together? The way she is holding his hand… they appear to be quite close.”

“You think so? I was given to understand that such feelings are forbidden in the Jedi Order,” Bail replied.

“Perhaps so, but such restrictions have never prevented those feelings from surfacing altogether. I find it quite plausible that two young Jedi such as they could have fallen in love in secret. And besides, the Order as it was is gone, giving them a chance to explore those feelings.”

Bail chuckled as they turned a corner, leading the group to a pair of doors at the end of the hallway. “Here we are. Serra, you shall have the room on the left, Malik, the one on the right. You should be quite comfortable, but please do not hesitate if there is anything we can do for you. Now, unfortunately, these two rooms do share a single bath, located between them, so you will have to work that out.”

“Thank you, Senator.” Malik smiled, seeing that the arrangements gave them ample privacy and allowed them to continue spending time together.

Seeing Serra a bit apprehensive, Breha wrapped her in a warm hug in front of her door. “Be at ease. You are safe here.”

“Thank you,” Serra whispered, grateful for her kindness.

Serra opened the door, finding the room to be far more than a bedroom. It was a luxurious suite with an eating and lounging area separate from the bedroom itself. She turned to profess it to be too much, but the Organas had already left. Plopping down on one of the sofas, Serra let out a huge sigh of exhaustion; she felt truly relaxed for the first time since leaving Coruscant. Soon, the sound of the bathroom door opening caught her attention.

“Perceptive, aren’t they?” Malik asked with a smirk.

“What? You think they set us up like this on purpose?” Serra wondered.

“No doubt. Didn’t you see the gleam in the Senator’s eye when he explained the bathroom accommodations? He knew damn well what he was doing.”

“So… I guess that means they know…”

“They suspect, but they’re too polite to confront us about it. Serra these are good people, and they’d never call us out like that; it’s unbecoming of our hosts.” He moved to sit next to her, unsure of what he was about to ask. “Does this mean… you’re having second thoughts?”

“No!” she replied instantly. “I guess… I just worry what people will think of us.”

“And since when have you worried about what others think of you?” Malik asked with a laugh.

“HAH! Ok, good point.”

Scooting closer to her, Malik took her hand. “Listen, I know I’ve been the slow one so far in this relationship; you’ve been practically dragging me along the entire way. But I know these feelings are real, and I do want to be with you. If that means we’re discovered and looked upon with disapproval, I’m just fine with that. But only if you are, too.”

“Huh… who’d have thought I’d be the hesitant one by this point?” Serra mused with a giggle. “I could use some fresh air to clear my head. Walk with me?”

“Love to.”

Departing their quarters, the couple strolled leisurely through the palace, admiring the artwork and sculptures adorning the hallways. Serra was entranced by it all; she felt so at peace in spite of the turmoil plaguing the galaxy. As they continued their stroll, the Jedi soon arrived in a beautiful outdoor courtyard. A large, ornate fountain stood in the center, giving the grounds a feeling of serenity. Watching the sun begin to set over the horizon in the distance, a pair of voices soon broke their concentration.

“It is without a doubt the best decision you’ve ever made, Dear. Even if it was without consulting me.”

“You would have done the same thing. Ah, my friends! It seems you needed some fresh air as well?” Bail Organa called from the other side of the courtyard.

“Understatement of the century,” Serra replied. “Thank you again for your hospitality. Your home is so beautiful; I could stay here forever.”

“You are too kind,” Breha said.

Seeing a tiny baby wrapped in the queen’s arms, Serra cooed, “Aww, I don’t think we’ve met, little one.”

“Of course! This is our daughter, Princess Leia,” Breha replied.

“She’s beautiful…” Sensing a strange maternal instinct, Serra began to feel a desire to connect with the child. “May I?”

“Please do. Just mind her head.”

“Oh my, you are just a cutie,” Serra gushed, taking the girl in her arms.

“Impressive,” Bail remarked to Malik off to the side. “Leia seems to have taken well to Serra’s touch. Most people other than us cause the child to scream at the top of her lungs.”

“Yeah…”

Watching Serra hold the tiny child, Malik began to see her in a whole new light: that of a mother. He saw the love in her eyes, the dedication she would show towards a child of her own. Even after everything they had been through together, she had never appeared more beautiful to him than in this moment. No further doubts lingered in his mind.

“You alright?” Bail asked.

“Huh? Oh, yes I’m fine.”

The man just smirked at him. “I see that look in your eye, my friend.”

“What do you mean?”

Giving him a light slap on the shoulder, Bail said, “You need to tell her how you feel about her. Believe me, you’ll live to regret it if you don’t.”

“Is it… that obvious?”

“Perhaps not as much as you fear. My wife and I are quite perceptive.”

“I… I’m certain I love her, Senator. That much is clear. Still, we both are hesitant in all this. After all, we’re breaking the Jedi Code, everything we’ve ever been taught. Even though we know exactly how we feel about each other, we still experience inner turmoil coming to terms with this,” Malik explained.

“Well, I am no Jedi, but I can speak with some authority on matters of love. In all the galaxy, there is not a more powerful force out there than love, I argue not even the Force itself.”

“But singular love is still an attachment. Attachments lead to jealousy. Jealousy leads to anger. Anger leads to the Dark Side. This is ingrained in every Jedi.”

“I cannot speak to that. As I said, I am no Jedi. But I would ask you to consider this: what if the proper application of singular love can allow you two to become far greater Jedi than you ever would have otherwise?”

“I had not considered that. I’ve always said that Serra is a good influence on me, and I try to be for her as well. We balance each other out,” Malik realized.

Watching Serra continue to play with the baby, Malik walked back over to where she and Breha sat. Serra beamed as he sat next to her on the bench and took the child in his arms, watching Leia sleep peacefully the entire time. In those moments, Serra felt the same things for Malik that he had felt moments before. She saw the kind of man he was deep within his soul. This was a man she knew she wanted to share her life with.

With a bit of reluctance, he handed the child back to her mother, and Breha left them for a moment to chat with her husband. Alone with Serra once more, Malik took her hand and kissed it sweetly. She felt a clear flutter in her heart as he did so; everything he did seemed to set her ablaze. They stared at each other for the longest time, never once breaking eye contact. Malik could hold the words in no longer.

“I love you, Serra.”

Giving Malik a mischievous smirk, she replied, “I know.”

The pair erupted into a giggle-fit at her response; they were almost unable to breathe, they were laughing so hard. Playfully slapping her shoulder, Malik finally managed to talk.

“You suck! Here I am, trying to be all sweet and romantic and you-”

Serra silenced him with a long kiss on his lips, cradling his face in her hands.

“I love you too, Malik,” she said as they parted.

“Told you so,” Breha taunted to her husband as they walked up.

“What? You two are _spying_ on us?!” Malik asked, incredulous.

“Oh, this hardly classifies as spy work, my friends,” Bail replied with a grin. “But make no mistake, we are quite happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Serra smiled.

“Senator, is there somewhere that we could get some food to bring back to our rooms?” Malik asked. “It’s getting late, and I’m afraid we may pass out from exhaustion any moment now.”

Laughing, he replied, “Subtle, Malik. Subtle indeed. In truth, I sent word to my servants to deliver some food to your rooms as soon as I saw you walking out here. It should be there by the time you return.”

“Thank you. I think we’ll be turning in for the evening, then.”

“Of course. Rest well, my friends. We shall come to wake you at 0900 standard time tomorrow morning. Good evening.”

The Jedi arrived back in Serra’s room a short time later, finding a basket of fruit waiting for them. They each grabbed a couple of pieces before hurrying to the bedroom, which was no less extravagant than the rest of their quarters. The enormous, circular bed dominated the room, covered with silky, light green sheets. While Malik stood taking it all in, Serra leapt directly onto the bed in a graceful swan dive, landing face-first in the center.

“Isn’t that a little juvenile? Using the Force for such stunts?” Malik asked, adding a few tsks for good measure.

“Oh, you think I had to use the Force to do that, eh? Unwise of you to doubt my athleticism,” Serra fired back.

“And I am a Jedi Healer, master of all things related to the human body. Unwise of _you_ to doubt my assessment of what’s possible without the use of the Force,” he replied with a smirk.

“I’ll show you what’s possible, mister…”

*****

Malik awoke hours later, refreshed and renewed after his passionate night with Serra. As light poured in from the window, she began to stir next to him, rolling over to lay her head on his bare chest. He smiled at the sight of the gorgeous, naked woman embracing him, her raven hair shimmering in the morning light. A light kiss to Serra’s forehead was all it took to wake her.

“Hmm… morning, lover…” she murmured.

“Morning, Serra,” Malik whispered with a smile. “Sleep well?”

“Uh huh… thanks to you.”

“Well… I could say the same to you.” Kissing her lips sweetly, a thought occurred to Malik. “Serra, it’s possible that we could be making a little playmate for Leia. I just now realized that.”

“Wow… I guess you’re right. Would that… be a problem?”

Malik smiled. “The way you played with her yesterday? No way. You would be a fantastic mother.”

Serra ran her fingers along his cheek. “And you’d be an incredible father. I probably wouldn’t have given myself to you otherwise. When and if that happens, we’ll face it together.”

Though Malik was tempted to have his way with her right then and there, he saw that it was nearly 0900, and decided to dress for the day. Almost the instant he had finished tying his robes back around his waist, a knock came at the door. Malik went out to greet their visitor, closing the door to give Serra her privacy as she rolled out of bed. Opening the door to the hallway, finding Senator Bail Organa on the other side.

“Good morning, Malik.”

“Good morning. Please come in.”

Taking a seat at the table in the small eating area, Malik offered Bail some of their fruit, which he politely declined. A few moments later, Serra emerged from the bedroom dressed in a white bathrobe.

“Whatcha boys talking about?” Serra asked, sitting at the table with them.

“Good morning, Serra. Yes, I was just here to discuss a few things I had thought of that may be useful for a pair of Jedi on the run from the Empire,” Bail said.

“Cool. What’d you have in mind?” Serra replied.

“Primarily, I had thought that the two of you might want to make some alterations to your appearance. After all, your current attire just screams ‘Jedi’, doesn’t it?”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Malik said. “I mean I know Serra is thought to be dead, but looking a bit more inconspicuous never hurt.”

“Besides, the Emperor won’t be fool enough to assume us to be taken care of after his attack on the Order. He’ll send Skywalker out to hunt down any stragglers, especially once he discovers Obi-Wan’s message in the Jedi Temple beacon,” Serra agreed. “Anything we can do to remain hidden.”

“Excellent. As I had anticipated you’d agree with my sentiments, I have sent for my tailor. She should be here in a few minutes and will take good care of you both,” Bail said, standing to leave. “Oh, I also thought that you might want to change your appearances in ways other than just clothing. Possibly different hairstyles or something to that effect, but it’s certainly not necessary. Just an idea I had.”

“Not a bad thought, we’ll see what we can come up with,” Malik replied.

“Wonderful. I shall leave you for now, but if you need anything at all, ask any of the guards. They’ll be more than happy to assist you.”

As he departed, Malik turned to Serra. “It’s funny that he would mention changing our physical appearance. I’ve been considering shaving my beard since we first escaped Coruscant. My short hair doesn’t necessarily expose me as a Jedi, but this just might,” Malik mused, running his fingers through his stubble.

Just then, there came a knock at the door. “Good morning. This is the tailor,” said a female voice at the door.

“I’ll get it.”

Opening the door, Serra was greeted by a beautiful young woman with blonde hair, appearing to be perhaps a year younger than her.

“Good morning, my name is Nira. Her Highness, Queen Organa, has asked me to outfit you with new sets of clothes for your journey. I will need to take your sizes down, and get some information of your personal style preferences.”

“Of course! Please come in,” Serra replied with a smile.

“Splendid. This should take only about ten minutes for each of you. Whom shall we start with?”

“Why don’t you go first, Serra? I’ll get cleaned up and shave in the meantime,” Malik said.

“Sounds good to me.”

While Malik entered the bathroom area for his shower, Serra stepped into the bedroom momentarily to slip on her pants and shirt. This would make it easier for Nira to do her work, she reasoned. Nira spent the next several minutes taking Serra’s measurements. Serra was a bit uncomfortable as the girl measured her inseam and bust, but reminded herself that she was just doing her job. Nira even went so far as taking Serra’s shoe measurement.

“Nira, is there somewhere I can get a haircut?” Serra asked as she worked.

“Of course, milady. Just one level down is the salon and barbershop, in the main shopping area.”

“Awesome. I’ll go there next…”

“Shall I tell your husband where you’ve gone?” Nira asked in a casual tone.

“Oh, um, no need. He’s not my husband,” Serra replied, a bit flustered.

“Oh! My apologies, milady, I was out of line to make such an assumption.”

“No apology needed. To be honest… I kind of like the sound of that. Malik Ran, my husband…”

“Well, if I may say so, you’re quite a lucky girl to have him; I am rather envious of you.”

“Aww… thank you, Nira. Anyway, if you could not tell him where I’ve gone. I think I’d like to surprise him with my new haircut.”

With Nira now finished with her measurements, Serra took a few minutes to peruse the style selections for her new clothes. She soon decided on an outfit that would be both flexible and inconspicuous. At Serra’s suggestion, Nira also said she could craft a place within the clothes for Serra to hide her lightsabers, keeping them close by yet hidden from view. Serra then exited into the hallway, heading towards the shopping area downstairs. Soon, Malik entered from the bathroom, dressed in the tunic and pants from his Jedi robes. His handsome face was now smooth and clean-shaven.

“Um, where’s Serra?” he asked.

“Not to worry, your friend stepped out for a little bit, but said she’d be back in an hour or so. Shall we get started, sir?”

Nira gave Malik the same instructions she had given Serra and began to take his measurements. Though she could tell the two of them were attached, she couldn’t help but enjoy inspecting his form. His arms and legs, though not bulging with muscles, were quite well toned, as was his strong chest. Nira would be lying if she said she wasn’t attracted to the handsome young Jedi, merely by his appearance alone, though she worked to remain professional. But as she took the last of his measurements, Nira began to feel a bit lightheaded from their conversations. This Jedi was so handsome, so kind. He had devoted his life to healing, one of the noblest professions in the galaxy, at least in the eyes of an Alderaanean. She stood face-to-face with him, withdrawing her tape measurer from his arms. Without even realizing what she was doing, she leaned her face closer to Malik’s, inching closer to his lips.

“Woah, what are you doing?” Malik asked, recoiling back.

Gasping as she realized what she had done, Nira stammered, “I… I-I’m so sorry, sir. I don’t know w-what came over me, I just… oh, please don’t think me for a whore! I truly didn’t intend to, honest!”

“Shh, it’s ok, I believe you,” Malik tried to reassure her.

“I shouldn’t have even been thinking that way. It was clear from the way Serra spoke of you that she loves you…”

“Nira, this entire situation is a whirlwind for everyone involved, yourself included.”

“It is?”

“Of course! The galaxy has changed drastically in the last few days. Here you are, a simple tailor on Alderaan, and suddenly you encounter a pair of Jedi on the run from the Empire! What you’re feeling is natural, but make no mistake, it is not love. It’s mere infatuation, brought on by the fantastic scenario playing out before your eyes. Trust me, these feelings are something that even we Jedi struggle with.”

“I suppose…”

“And I don’t feel any need to tell your superiors of this, just as long as you _promise_ not to do it to anyone else in the future. Deal?”

“Deal,” Nira replied after a moment’s thought.

“Now, I _will_ need to tell Serra. She and I have no secrets from each other, especially about our relationship,” Malik said in a serious tone.

“I understand. And… I will gladly face any wrath that she feels is appropriate for me.”

Malik laughed. “Wrath? Please. Serra may be a warrior, but she’s far from unreasonable. She will be unhappy, I would guess, but I doubt it will go beyond that. Nothing happened, after all.”

“If you say so, sir.”

Malik then took the same handheld screen Serra had used before to select her clothing styles. He soon found just what he was looking for, and noted his selections for Nira. At her suggestion, he also agreed for a secret compartment of some sort within the clothes for his lightsaber, just as Serra had requested. Now finished with her labors, Nira bade him goodbye and departed the room.

As she closed the door behind her, Malik slumped down on the sofa, his head in his hands. In spite of the way things had turned out, he still began to feel great shame. For a brief moment, as Nira had leaned in to kiss him, he had almost returned in kind to her. She was, admittedly, quite pretty. Still, she was nothing compared to Serra. Serra Keto truly was Malik’s dream girl. Strong, kind, and intelligent, she was everything he could ever want. No, pretty as Nira may be, he could never betray Serra’s trust. Yet, he almost had…

_Young Jedi… conflicted, I sense you to be._

Malik sat up, startled at the ethereal voice he now heard. He looked around the room and even reached out with the Force, but found no intruders.

_Confide in me, you should. What unrest troubles you?_

“No… Master Yoda?”

_Indeed._

“But how?”

_Time for that, there will be later. Speak with me, Malik._

Swallowing hard, Malik said, “Master… Serra Keto and I… we have fallen in love with each other. I know this is against the teachings of the Council, but I do believe our relationship to be a healthy one. I’m a positive influence on her, as she is on me. We believe this is the will of the Force, Master.”

_Hmm… alone in these feelings, you are not. Many Jedi struggled their entire lives they have with such feelings. Resolute, I can tell you to be. Change your mind I could not if I tried. Yet… doubt I still sense within you._

“It… it is because of the events of a few moments ago, Master. Another woman had become attracted to me and attempted to kiss me. I resisted, but… I almost didn’t. I feel ashamed of myself, Master Yoda.”

_Plan do you to tell Serra of this?_

“Yes, the next moment I see her!”

_Then feel ashamed you should not. To resist temptation is the life of a Jedi Knight, Malik. Though given in to one form of temptation you have, resist a darker form of temptation you managed. If, after committing yourself to Serra, you allowed another woman to come between that bond… stray towards the Dark Side, I fear you would. Be at ease, Malik. Shame you must not feel._

“Thank you, Master.” Sitting in silence for a moment, he asked, “I suppose you will be expelling Serra and me from the Order, then?”

_Heh. What Order do you speak of? Fallen the Jedi Order has._

“All because of Skywalker…”

_No. Skywalker’s fall, tragic it was. But the reason for our downfall it was not. Consumed we were by our own fear and arrogance. So eager were we to fight in the Clone Wars that blind we became to the rise of the Sith. No… blame nobody but ourselves, we can. Myself most of all._

“That may be, Master, but I still believe we can do some good in this galaxy. With the rise of the Empire, we are needed now more than ever.”

_Ahh… such optimism. One of your greatest qualities, it is. Understand I can how Serra would fall so deeply in love with you._

“So… you aren’t angry with us?”

_Angry? No, Malik, never angry. But concerned I do remain. See your relationship with my own eyes, I must. If believe you do that this is the will of the Force, seek me out. Come to Dagobah. There you may put to rest all your fears and doubts._

“We will. And Master… I’m so happy to know that you survived.”

_Pleased I am as well at your survival. Needed, you and Serra will be in this new galaxy of ours. May the Force be with you…_

As Yoda’s voice faded from the room, Malik heard a knock at the door. Thinking it might be Bail or one of his assistants, he rose and strolled over. As he opened the door, he was struck speechless at the sight before him.

“Hello, Malik.”

It was Serra! He knew that from her clothes and face, but her hair had been cut short into a pixie style. Its dark black color still complemented her porcelain skin, but the short locks now framed her face in a compact, playful way. She retained the slight waviness of her longer hair, with the strands reaching down to her jawline having a tiny bit of twist to them. This resulted in a look that was still stunningly beautiful, yet also appeared like a bit of a wild child.

“Well, whadaya think?” she asked, showing the back with a playful twirl.

“I… I-I love it!” Malik stammered. “Wow, you look fantastic!”

“Thank you,” Serra blushed, turning bright red. “I was afraid I went too short, but the stylist downstairs was just masterful. You, by the way, don’t look so bad yourself,” she murmured, running her hands up Malik’s now clean-shaven face and neck.

“Thanks,” he smiled, accepting a kiss from her. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “So listen, a couple of things happened while you were out, one good and one not so good.”

“Ok?” Serra asked with a quizzical look. “What was the not so good?”

“Nira… tried to kiss me as she took my measurements.”

Serra stood in silence for a moment, backing up a step or two. “I see,” she said quietly at last. “I take it when you say ‘tried’ that she didn’t succeed?”

“Correct. I backed up immediately and told her I wouldn’t betray you like that.”

“Hmm… well, thank you for being honest with me, Malik. I appreciate it.”

“Any time.”

“Now then, perhaps I need to teach Nira a lesson,” Serra seethed, her thoughts turning to anger.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Serra. She wasn’t intending any malice, she was just a girl with a whirlwind crush and let that get the better of her for a moment.”

Eying him, Serra asked, “You’re _defending_ her? She tried to come between us!”

“You didn’t see her in the aftermath. She felt awful; she knows she made a huge mistake. I understand your anger and jealousy, but if we’re going to make this relationship work, we have to be better than that. We’re already straying from Jedi teachings as is; we don’t need to endanger ourselves further by giving in to aggressive emotions.”

“You’re attracted to her, aren’t you?” she accused him.

“Serra, what good does that question do?” Malik tried to say.

“Would you give me a straight ANSWER?! Are you attracted to her or not?!”

Trying to remain calm, Malik replied, “Yes, I am attracted to her. Remember what we know about attraction. It is not something that can be automatically controlled. It’s a reflex. She is young, sweet, and quite pretty, so any number of men would find her attractive. There may be any number of handsome men out there that I’m sure you would find attractive. But none of that matters in the grand scheme of things, Serra. What matters is that I love you, not just for your beauty, but also for your strength, your mind, and your heart. Any beautiful woman could walk through that door right now and throw herself at me, and regardless of any attraction I may feel for her, I’d still choose you. I always will.”

Serra stood in silence, digesting his words. At first Malik feared that she might not forgive him. But after a minute, a single tear dribbled from Serra’s eye and rolled down her cheek.

“You… really mean all that?” she asked.

“Every word. I love you, Serra. Those aren’t just words to me. I’m a Jedi; I take my commitments seriously. Those words are my commitment to you. It doesn’t matter if we live for another century or die tomorrow, I want to travel this galaxy with you by my side.”

Serra choked back another couple of tears, then walked forward and wrapped her arms around Malik’s neck. “I’m sorry… for being petty and jealous,” she sobbed into his shoulder. “I should never have doubted you.”

“It’s ok, Serra,” Malik replied, cradling her face in his hands and wiping away her tears. “We’re going to encounter situations like this. We just have to find healthy ways of working through them.”

“So, you don’t think I should be mad at Nira?”

“Serra, it’s perfectly normal to be unhappy with her actions. But you can’t allow that to lead to anger and a desire for revenge. Besides, any revenge you could exact wouldn’t have any real impact. She already feels awful for what she did.”

“I guess you’re right,” she said, drying her eyes. “But I do want to have a chat with her, girl-to-girl.”

“I think that’s reasonable.”

Their relationship mended, the pair adjourned to the nearby sofa. Malik was about to tell her about his conversation with Yoda, but Serra was becoming rather frisky, pawing at him and kissing his neck. Unable to resist her charms, he returned in kind, beginning to fondle and grope her body. This eventually deteriorated into a long, passionate kiss, landing them both long ways on the sofa. Slipping his hand into her pants, Malik found Serra to be quite wet and slick already. She quickly slid her bottoms off and tugged at his pants as well. Malik stood for a moment and shucked off his pants before rejoining Serra on the sofa. As he was about to enter her, he suddenly got an idea.

“I want to try something,” he said with a grin.

“Whatcha got in mind?” Serra asked in anticipation.

Without a word, Malik turned Serra to lie on her side with her backside spooned against him. She gasped at feeling his rigid cock brush against her ass crack as it traveled southward. He lifted her leg up a bit, attempting to guide his member into her, but had a bit of difficulty finding the entrance. Serra picked up on this and took a gentle grip on his cock, guiding him into her slick womanhood. Inch-by-inch, he buried himself within her, moaning as her hot tunnel began to milk him.

“Oh, Malik… you just have the best ideas…” Serra purred.

Malik said nothing in reply, but slipped his hand underneath her tunic, caressing her taught stomach as he moved towards her breasts. Serra assisted him by pulling her top up as much as she could, allowing her globes to hang free. As Malik stimulated her nipples, he continued thrusting into her at an easy pace. He began to kiss the nape of her neck, now exposed from her new haircut. This elicited another gasp of excitement from Serra. She was now close to orgasm, and reached down to finger her clit, remembering how wonderful it had felt when Malik had done that to her yesterday.

“You close, baby?”

“Uh huh,” Malik grunted in reply.

“Good,” Serra whispered in a husky voice.

Malik’s eyes bulged as Serra reached behind her with one hand, running her fingers through his fine, blonde hair. She turned her face as much as she was able to and drew Malik in for a passionate kiss. This only spurred him on further, as he was now thrusting into her at a rapid pace. Serra moaned into his mouth as their tongues danced, her finger attacking her clit the entire time. At last, they could stand no more, and the lovers climaxed together. Malik let out a primal groan as he filled Serra’s womb, and her screams of ecstasy were some of the most powerful noises either had ever heard in their lives. As they came down from their high, the pair relaxed in silence on the sofa, still spooned against each other.

“I’m sorry… I totally interrupted you,” Serra panted. “You had mentioned that something good happened while I was out?”

“Huh? Oh yeah!” Malik realized. “So, I was somehow contacted… by Master Yoda.”

“Seriously?!”

“Yeah. I think he somehow managed to contact me through the Force, though I have no clue how.”

“Wow… maybe he’s more powerful than anyone realized?” Serra wondered. “So, what did he want?”

“He came to me in the aftermath of my encounter with Nira. He sensed my inner conflict, my shame at being attracted to her. We talked about the relationship we’re building, and why I believe it to be healthy. Yoda asked us to come see him in person. He says he can help us conquer our fears and doubts.”

“Where is he?”

“Some place called ‘Dagobah’ is what he said.”

“Must be where he’s hiding out,” Serra reasoned. “We’ll look it up once we head back to our ship.”

By now, another knock came at the door. The couple disentangled themselves from each other and quickly slipped their pants on. Once they were sufficiently composed, Serra went to answer the door.

“Hello… oh, hello milady,” Nira said as the door opened. “I have brought your new sets of clothes. May I come in?”

“Of course! Set them on the kitchen table if you would.”

Nira placed two large duffel bags on the table and unzipped one.

“In here we have Malik’s order.”

“Thanks. I’ll go try them on to see if you need to make any adjustments,” Malik said, grabbing the bag before Nira could protest.

As the door to the bedroom closed, Serra turned to Nira. “So, I understand you and Malik had a little… encounter earlier.”

Nira at first had a panicked look on her face before lowering her head in shame. “Yes… I attempted to kiss him. He refused, and in truth I am glad he did. He is wonderful, but I would be a terrible person if I had ruined your relationship.”

“But you did _try_ to ruin our relationship,” Serra countered.

“No! Please understand I don’t know what came over me! I-in those moments, I forgot that he was attached. I knew it was wrong as soon as I realized what I was doing. I am so sorry, milady. I will understand if you cannot forgive me.”

Serra stood in reflection for a few moments. At last, she replied, “Some say that forgiveness must be earned, but it is also a key tenant of being a Jedi. I can feel the remorse in your voice. Nira, I may be upset with your actions, but I am not angry with you. You’re right; Malik is a wonderful man. I’m lucky to have him, and I can’t blame you for being attracted to him. For that attraction, there is no need for forgiveness. And for your actions, I do forgive you, without condition.” Serra walked towards Nira and tilted her head up with her fingers. “Friends?”

“I… I would like that,” Nira replied with a warm smile.

The two women hugged to symbolize their new friendship. As they separated, Malik emerged from the bedroom.

“Nira, I’ve gotta say… you did one incredible job with these.”

The women turned and smiled at seeing Malik’s new attire. Gone were his Jedi robes, but his new clothes were just as humble, which suited his personality. He wore a pair of brown leather pants and a tan shirt, complemented by a leather jacket, black with occasional streaks of orange. Completing the ensemble was a pair of brown boots, which blended in well with his pants. This gave Malik an unassuming, yet tough appearance.

“Wow,” Serra breathed.

“Indeed,” Nira agreed. “If one did not know any better, he would look to be simply one of the countless pilots or smugglers inhabiting this galaxy. Ok Serra, your turn.”

As Serra left the room, Malik turned and asked Nira, “Everything ok?”

“Yes,” she replied with a quiet smile.

“I’m glad.”

Serra returned a few minutes later. She was now clad in black leather, from her boots and formfitting pants to her striking tank top. A pair of fingerless gloves completed her new look. Despite the skin-tightness of the outfit, it was clearly designed for functionality and range of motion as well; Serra appeared as limber and agile as ever. Meanwhile, Malik couldn’t help but notice the added sex appeal of her attire. As opposed to Jedi robes, her clothes now accentuated every curve of her body, and her generous bust in particular.

“Well?” Serra asked, giving a playful twirl to show the back of her outfit. “You gonna tell me what you think, or just stare off into space all day?”

Strolling up to her, Malik ran his hands down her shoulders and arms, inspecting her attire. “Absolutely stunning.”

“I had hoped you might like it,” she smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

“I am glad you are both pleased,” Nira said. “In the bags I gave you, you will also find a bit of cold weather gear, heavy coats and pants. You never know when you might need them.”

“Awesome. Nira, thank you so much for taking such great care of us,” Serra said.

“Oh, you mentioned something earlier about hiding our lightsabers?” Malik asked.

“Of course. As you can see, Malik, your boots have a thick rim on top. If you pull this leather strap here, you expose a secret compartment in the side just big enough to hide your weapon in.”

“Impressive,” Malik said, slipping the handle into his boot.

“Serra, if you will join me here at the mirror and turn your back to it. Now, you see these two leather straps forming an X on your back, yes? Though they appear to be mere decorations, they actually are meant to house your two lightsabers.”

“I love it,” Serra replied with a grin, placing her weapons on her back.

“You will likely need to use the Force to arm yourselves quickly should the need arise, but I doubt this would be an issue for two accomplished Jedi such as yourselves. May I assist you with anything else today?”

“No, Nira. You’ve been wonderful to us today,” Serra said, wrapping the girl in a warm hug. “We’re going to have to leave soon, but I want you to promise me something. As a friend.”

“Anything.”

Serra grinned at her. “Find a nice man of your own and give him a couple of kids for me, ok?”

Nirra giggled at the sheer overtness of Serra’s request. “I’ll… do my best,” she managed to reply at last.

“Take care of yourself, Nira,” Malik said as she departed.

As the two Jedi prepared to sit down to a quiet meal of fruit, the comlink in the room buzzed.

_“Malik? Serra? It is Senator Organa.”_

“Senator, what’s wrong?” Malik replied.

_“I’ve just gotten word: Imperial troops have landed in our hangar. I’m going out to receive them now. You two need to make your way back to your ship. Do so quickly, but also remain casual. I believe they will not recognize you if you do not draw attention to yourselves.”_

“Understood. Thank you, Senator. May the Force be with you.”

By now, Serra was already throwing clothes into the bags Nira had brought. “We better take our Jedi robes with us for now. If the troopers were to discover them in here, they’d know the Organas were hiding Jedi,” she reasoned.

“Good idea.”

Once they had gathered their things, the pair made their way through the corridors of the palace. At first, nothing appeared to be out of place, but all too soon, Malik detected the presence of Imperial soldiers around the corner. Serra seemed to sense his nerves and sought to calm him.

“It’ll be ok. Here, put your arm around my waist. We need to walk as if we’re lovers, just out for a stroll,” she whispered.

Doing as she suggested, he replied, “I believe we are lovers out for a stroll.”

Serra giggled, planting a sweet kiss on his lips in plain view of the soldiers ahead of them. The group eyed them for a moment, but soon focused their attention elsewhere. So it went through most of their walk, the pair deflecting any suspicions with an overt amount of affection.

“You’re really playing into this. How much of it’s acting and how much is real?”

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” Serra replied with a smirk.

Soon, the pair arrived at the main hangar. Off to one side, they saw Bail Organa speaking to the clone in charge. As they made their way to the exit that would take them down the mountain and back to the clearing their ship was hidden in, a soldier stopped them.

“Hang on a moment, we need to speak with you.”

“Is there a problem, officer?” Malik asked politely.

“Where are you going with those bags?”

Drawing Serra close, he replied, “Just a little… getaway vacation.”

“We’ve been planning it for months,” Serra added, grabbing Malik’s ass in not-so-subtle fashion.

“Ah, I see. Well I won’t take more than a moment of your time, if I may. Can you look at this image and tell me if you’ve seen this man anytime in the last two days?” the trooper asked, displaying an image on a handheld screen.

Inspecting it, Malik could tell that it was himself from their encounter on Ord Mantell, though his cloak obscured his face. “Huh… no I can’t say that I have. And I certainly would report any Jedi activity, what with the attempt on the Chancellor’s life.”

“Yes, the Emperor had quite a scare that night, but he’s as tough as ever, I can assure you of that,” the clone replied.

“What do you think, Dear? Have you seen this man anywhere?” Malik asked, turning to Serra.

“Hmm… no I don’t believe so, Honey. Not that I could say.”

“Perhaps… though I can’t help but notice, sir, that your hands appear as strong as the ones in the picture. And about the same size, too,” the clone said, eying them through his helmet. “Would you take hold of this hydrospanner and hold it in the position depicted onscreen?”

Serra tensed up, preparing to draw her swords, but Malik calmed her with a few strokes to her back. “Officer, that won’t be necessary,” he replied, probing the clone’s mind with the Force.

“Uh… that won’t be necessary.”

“Alderaan is a peaceful place, filled with citizens of the Republic. No Jedi would dare come here.”

“Alderaan… is a peaceful place. No Jedi would come here,” the clone repeated softly.

“We really should be on our way, shouldn’t we officer?”

“Ah, right… you really should be on your way. Move along, citizens.”

“Thank you so much for your dedication, officer,” Malik said with a smile.

Walking arm-in-arm, Malik and Serra strode past the remaining troops unhindered, waving and smiling politely. As they exited the hangar, they took the lift back down to the base of the mountain.

“You are something else,” Serra marveled. “I’d never even dream of attempting a mind trick that complex!”

“I’ve found that the more logic and common sense you inject, the better chances a complex mind trick has of working,” he smirked. “Here we are. Next stop: Dagobah.”

The pair boarded their ship, powering up the systems to prepare for departure. They soon activated the cloaking systems, then waited for a lull in the Imperial ships flying overhead before lifting off. After carefully navigating through the opposing vessels, they broke the atmosphere, silently passing the clone’s command ship as they went. Before any of the Imperial agents could guess at what was near them, the two Jedi were safely away into hyperspace.


	4. Chapter 4

“There it is,” Malik said, pointing at the star map. “I’ll program our route to the Dagobah system.”

“Excellent,” Serra replied. “Oh, incoming transmission from Alderaan, encoded.”

“I’d bet that it’s Bail Organa. Put it on screen.” As his face appeared on the monitor, Malik said, “Senator, I apologize for our abrupt departure.”

_“Think nothing of it, Malik. I had anticipated something like this might happen. I’m just glad you two made it out without issue.”_

“Thank you for everything. Your hospitality was so gracious,” Serra said.

_“It was our pleasure. And, I hope you don’t mind but… last night I had a crew of my men board your ship. They restocked your supplies and filled up your fuel tanks. That should last you for a month or two, with any luck.”_

“Wow… that’s very generous of you, Senator,” Malik said in surprise.

_“It is the least we could do for you. Again, you will always be welcomed as friends on Alderaan.”_

“Thank you, sir. We’re breaking contact now.”

_“Very good. Oh Malik, one last thing. Have you considered what to name that ship of yours? It’s frightful bad luck to be flying a ship without a name, you know.”_

“Well, in my experience, there’s no such thing as luck. Still, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Thank you again.”

_“You are quite welcome. Organa out.”_

“We will have to find a way to repay his kindness,” Serra mused.

“Yeah… I’ll think on that.”

They continued on for a few minutes in silence, until Serra asked a question that had been bothering her.

“I know Master Yoda said he was not angry, but… do you think he’d expel us for what we’ve done?”

Malik smiled. “I doubt it. What could he expel us from? He himself said that the Jedi Order is finished. No, I think he just wants to be sure that we have thought this through and that we proceed in our relationship in a healthy way. One that will not lead to the Dark Side.” Rubbing Serra’s arm, he continued, “No matter what disagreements we may have with him, Master Yoda will always be a friend to us. I have no doubt of that.”

“I hope you’re right…” Serra sighed.

*****

The ship lurched as it exited hyperspace, arriving at the Dagobah system in the Outer Rim. The large, green planet loomed ahead of them, and both Jedi got the same feeling: this place was strong with the Force.

“Wow… so much life down there. I’m not finding any civilizations or urban areas, though. Master Yoda could literally be anywhere on the planet,” Serra said.

“I imagine that’s why he decided to hide here. Nobody would come look for an old Jedi Master out here,” Malik grinned. “Still, we’ve felt his presence in the past. If we channel the Force together, I bet we could pinpoint his location.”

Serra placed the ship back on autopilot for their approach and turned to face Malik in the chair beside her. The two joined hands, closed their eyes, and sunk into a deep meditation together, reaching out with the Force. It was quite difficult, but after almost ten minutes, they finally picked up a faint sign of familiarity on the surface. Malik concentrated with his all while Serra resumed control of the ship, following his directions. After tracking Yoda’s presence across the planet, they landed on the surface beside a large, swampy lake.

“Nice landing,” Malik commented.

“Thanks. This fog doesn’t make it easy. Can you imagine how lost we’d be if we had just decided to land and look for Yoda once we got here?!”

“I know. At that rate, we’d only find him if _he_ found us.”

Grabbing their packs of supplies, the pair exited the ship into the murky world stretching out before them. Malik saw a pair of Jubba birds flying through the trees overhead, and could have sworn he caught sight of a Dragonsnake just beneath the surface of the nearby lake. As the couple began their explorations, a group of glowing fireflies swarmed near them. They at first paid them no mind, but an ethereal voice soon caught their attentions.

_Young Jedi… traveled far you have. Come._

“Yoda…” Malik breathed.

They spoke not a word, simply following the glowing bugs as they illuminated the path before them. Soon, they came upon a strange yet welcome sight: an E3-standard starship lifeboat. Both knew that Yoda had to be nearby.

“Welcome, my friends,” came a gravelly voice from the ship.

“Master…” Overcome with relief at seeing their Grand Master again, Serra dropped her bags and dashed forward, wrapping the old Jedi in a warm hug. “Master Yoda, you’re alive!”

“Heheh, yes yes Serra, alive I am. Pleased I am that survived the attack on the Jedi Temple you did.”

“Well… I almost didn’t. I have Malik to thank for that.”

“Of course. Malik, how wonderful it is to see you again. Ah, but most rude I am being. Please, come into my home. Sit down, relax you must.”

“Thank you, Master,” Malik replied, stepping into the makeshift hut with Serra. Though it was cramped for the two adult Jedi, neither of them cared as they sat on the floor of the vessel.

“Master, I feel you’ve chosen a great place to hide,” Serra said as Yoda joined them. “None of the Empire’s agents would ever think to find you here.”

“Indeed, Serra. Full of life, this place is. And it also possesses other… unique qualities that enable my exile.” Taking a seat on the small cushion along the wall, Yoda continued, “Now then, Malik tells me that fallen in love you two have. Tell me of how this happened.”

Though she at first hesitated, Serra could sense no hostility or anger in Yoda’s voice, helping her to be more at ease. “Well, we’ve had strong feelings for each other for some time now. We’ve always been a good influence on each other, after all. Malik provides that logic and reason when I become brash and emotional, and I remind him never to back down on something he believes in with his all.”

“Yes, noticed this the Council did. Please continue.”

“I guess everything came to a head when Anakin attacked the Jedi Temple. We knew he was trying to get to the beacon to set a trap for all the Jedi off world, so I moved to intercept him. But Master Drallig was right… he was too much for me. He would have killed me after crushing my body under a pillar, had Malik not come along and resuscitated me.”

“I see. And how did you manage this, Malik?”

“Serra’s heartbeat was slowing by the second. She needed a jump-start. I didn’t know what to do at first, but a reflex appeared to happen in those moments, and I saved her by using… Force Lightning.”

“Hmm… and what then?” Yoda asked, seemingly unfazed by the revelation.

Serra said, “As you could imagine, being brought back from the edge of death by the man I harbored a secret love for was too much. The moment I saw Malik’s face, I lunged forward and kissed him. I… couldn’t have stopped myself if I had tried, Master. After that, we escaped Coruscant and went on the run together. She took a deep breath and continued, “Since then, we have become… intimate. We have made love on several occasions. Master, we are certain that we want to spend the rest of our lives with each other, no matter how long we may have left.”

Yoda paused for a few moments before replying, “A dangerous path you could be walking.”

Malik answered, “Yes, but in truth, no path is safe anymore. Not with the rise of the Empire.”

“Ah, quite right you are.”

“We believe this to be the will of the Force, Master.”

“Mean that do you, Malik? Or merely an excuse do you make?”

“We do mean that. Before we joined our bodies for the first time, we reached out with the Force. We were desperate for any sign that we were doing the right thing. At that time, we both felt a tremor in the Force, pushing us together, rather than apart. That is no coincidence, Master,” Malik said.

“Perhaps… right you may be. Yet great care you must take. A powerful emotion love is, capable of both good and evil. If your love leads to jealousy and fear, down the path to the Dark Side you may stray. Tell me, afraid to lose each other are you?”

The couple peered into each other’s eyes for a few moments, holding hands tightly. Serra replied, “We do not wish to lose each other… but we accept that we will at some point. The fact is that we do not know how long we have left, be it decades, years, or mere days. What we do know is that, no matter how long we have left, we want to spend that time together.”

Malik continued, “At some point, our lives will end. As you’ve always said, death is a natural part of life. When that happens, we will cease to be anything at all, except one with the Force. Until then, we will do as much good as possible, which I believe we can do together.”

“Hmm… genuine I now know your love to be. Pleased to see this I am.”

_As am I._

Serra and Malik looked around startled by the disembodied voice they had just heard.

“Master… is someone else here?” Malik asked.

“Ah, good of you to join us, my Master,” Yoda said with a smile.

_I felt a particular desire to. I believe my experiences in life could be of some help to our young friends. Malik… Serra… how wonderful it has been to see you grow into such accomplished Jedi. When last I saw you two, you were but Padawan learners._

Serra was lost beyond belief, but something about the voice felt familiar to Malik, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

“Could it be? Master Qui-Gon?” he finally breathed.

_I am indeed._

“But… how? You died almost fifteen years ago!”

_In time I will explain. But regarding your conversation with Master Yoda, I believe my life experiences are quite relevant._

“Does that mean… the rumors about you are true?” Serra asked.

_They are. I was in love once. Against the teachings of the Jedi, I took a wife. She loved me, and I her. And it nearly destroyed me…_

_Her name was Master Tahl. She was an exceptional Knight of the Republic, and even continued her incredible career after being stricken blind in battle. Though a fierce combatant, her true strength was her ability to learn and gain wisdom and insight from those lessons. So wise was she, not only in matters of the Force, but also in many different subjects across the galaxy. We had trained together as younglings, developing a strong friendship. Over time, this grew into a deep trust as fellow Jedi, and this trust eventually blossomed into love._

_I remember well that mission. She had gone to the world of New Apsolon, working undercover to try and disrupt an anti-government movement. But after she did not report in for several weeks, I disobeyed the Council and went out to look for her. When I found her at last, we were so overcome with emotion that we pledged our lives to each other. After that, she went back undercover, but was soon found out. The leader of the movement tortured her with a sensory deprivation containment device, draining her strength. I gave chase and managed to rescue her, but all too late._

_I managed to get her out and to the nearest medical facility, but by then there was nothing that could be done for her. After I spent a few last pleasant moments at her side, she became one with the Force. As a result, I was beside myself with grief and anger, bent on seeking revenge against the man who had done this to her. I hunted him down, had him at my mercy, and was prepared to execute him then and there. But at the last moment, I heard Tahl’s voice. I knew then that she would not want this. If I did this, I would be crossing a line from which there was no return. It took every ounce of my will, but I turned the man over to the authorities._

_I apologize for my ramblings, but my point is this. In my grief, my singular love for Tahl became an attachment and drove me dangerously close to the Dark Side. Had I not heard her voice, my memory would be despised today, rather than revered. You, my friends, are traveling down such a path. It is difficult to walk, and leaves no room for error. You cannot allow your commitment to lead you to anger. If even I, a vaunted Jedi Master, could be tempted as such, far greater danger will lurk for the two of you._

“But are you actually saying we shouldn’t be doing this?” Malik asked.

There was silence for a moment before Yoda gave a jovial laugh. “Perceptive he always has been, Master Qui-Gon.”

_Indeed. I am not suggesting that you avoid your feelings for each other, but I wish to impart my experiences upon you so that you will be able to avoid my mistakes. That is, after all, the goal of a teacher, is it not? I do not regret my relationship with Tahl, only my actions in the aftermath of her death. I remain very lucky to have known her. That you both accept your eventual demise and separation bodes well for your future, in my humble opinion._

“I agree,” Yoda said. “And a greater mastery of the Force, helpful it would be, I think. Oh yes…”

_You believe them ready for the trial?_

“I do.”

“Excuse me, but I’m confused, Master. What trial? Malik and I have already been knighted; we’ve passed our trials,” Serra inquired.

“Indeed, and splendidly at that,” Yoda replied. “The trial of which I speak is one that will test your true mastery of the Force. Pass, and Jedi Masters you will be.”

“And fail?” Malik asked.

_No physical harm will come to you. However, like the Trial of Spirit from your knighting, we can make no guarantees about your mental state afterwards._

“Decide now, you should not. Train with each other. Test your connection to the Force. When ready you are, the trial will await.”

*****

The next day, Malik and Serra found themselves in a large clearing, ready to begin their training session. Though they could have slept in their ship’s quarters, both felt that it would be counterproductive to their regimen. With lightsabers in hand, the pair eyed each other in silence before Serra spoke.

“I think I can help you with your combat prowess,” she said. “You’re brilliant at defending against multiple enemies with blasters, but even you admit that one-on-one duels give you difficulty.”

“That’s wise, I suppose,” Malik replied. “We’ve got to figure Vader will find us sooner or later.”

“Ok, setting lightsabers to training mode.” Serra raised her weapons in the typical opening of her Jar’Kai form, one high and one low. “Prepare yourself!”

Malik replied with his Soresu opening, his lightsaber high and pulled back at the side of his face, pointing at his opponent. Waiting for Serra to make the first move, he tried to imagine this bout as far more than a sparring match. Someday, their lives would depend on their abilities to survive against Vader and his agents; they had to be ready for that. Soon, Serra rushed forward, swinging both of her swords in an overhead slash.

“HAH!”

Malik parried her blows and gave a bit of ground, attempting to use the Force to anticipate her next move. She gave him little breathing room, assuming a relentless assault on him with both of her weapons. All the while, Malik tried utilizing the brilliant defenses of his Soresu form to redirect her blows and dodge in the subtlest ways. Though he had some success, Serra was far from an amateur, and soon began varying the pace of her strikes to try and throw him off.

_Eye of the storm… be the eye of the storm_ , Malik thought to himself.

His efforts to remain calm and collected amidst the flurry of green lightsabers around him were only somewhat successful. Serra continued to try and penetrate his defenses, now incorporating her signature acrobatic maneuvers into her offensive. It was all Malik could do just to keep up with her aggressive Jar’Kai form. Seeing now that he would have to make use of all his capabilities, Malik began constantly drawing on the Force and keeping himself in constant motion, his blade ever spinning to provide maximum defensive coverage. The couple dueled for several minutes, now on equal footing, each managing to counter the best moves the other could throw at them. At last, Serra thought she had found an opening she could exploit. She tried to lock Malik’s blade up with one of hers before striking at him with the other before he could react. But Malik was too good for that, pushing her off hand back with the Force, rendering her helpless for a split second. In any normal duel, Serra Keto would have lost her hand in that moment, but to her bewilderment, Malik simply disengaged and leapt backwards, assuming a defensive stance once more.

“What’s wrong with you, Malik?!” Serra shouted in frustration. “You had a prime opportunity to disarm me and end the duel, but you chose not to! Why?!”

“I, um, didn’t want to hurt you, Serra.”

“Bantha fodder! You know damn well our lightsabers were on training mode and would have only stung. You gotta give me a better excuse than _that_!”

Sighing, Malik replied, “I’m trying to stay true to my training, Serra. Soresu is the ultimate form of Jedi nonaggression. There was another path without theoretically cutting off your hand. There is always another path, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t try to find it.”

Serra shook her head. “And what if I had been Skywalker or one of his agents?”

“I would have done what was necessary.”

“Would you really? Because I don’t know that I believe you, Malik. These are dark times, and we can’t afford to be so stubborn that it gets us killed. That stubbornness is exactly what got the Jedi into this mess in the first place.”

“Agree with Serra, I do,” came Yoda’s voice from the edge of the clearing. “Hold firm to our ideals, we should. But if such ideals make us blind to the danger around us, inhibiting us from serving the greater good and the will of the Force, reassess our ideals we must. As Serra said, our stubborn nature nearly destroyed us, made us blind to the rise of the Sith it did.”

“So now we’re advocating violence all of a sudden?” Malik replied, incensed.

“No, Malik. Never violence. Against those who oppose you but may not be your enemy, strive for nonaggression you should. But when comes the day that you must face Vader or his Emperor… stopped they must be. On this, all depends.”

“Vader?” Serra asked.

Yoda bowed his head in sadness, walking closer to the pair. “The new identity of Anakin Skywalker. Joined the Sith, he has. Gone is the hero of the Clone War, consumed now by the Dark Side of the Force. Attempted to kill him, Obi-Wan did. But when at his mercy Vader was, strike the killing blow Obi-Wan could not. It is for the Force to decide his fate, as he described it.”

“And the Force decided for him to survive…” Sera seethed.

“Peace, Serra. Blame Obi-Wan you should not. What if the situation were the same, but with you in Obi-Wan’s place and Master Drallig in Vader’s? What then, hmm?”

“I… I don’t know…” she admitted.

“As I said: blame Obi-Wan you should not. Failed I did to sense the rise of the Sith. Failed I did to defeat the Emperor. If blame someone you must, blame me.” Yoda moved back to the edge of the clearing, saying, “Now, again. This time, Malik, envision yourself in combat with the Emperor you must. If the opportunity arises for victory, hesitate you must not.”

“I understand, Master.”

The pair resumed their sparring, their strikes now much more fervent. Malik had known of his weakness for quite some time: his lack of finishing techniques. He resolved to shore this up in short order, which could only be aided by Serra’s masterful battle tactics. As they fought, Malik continued relying on his “eye of the storm” mindset while being ever aware of any openings or mistakes his opponent might make. Soon enough, Serra lost her footing ever so slightly, allowing Malik to Force Push her to the ground and place his blade at her throat, ending the duel.

“Impressive,” Serra smirked as he helped her up.

“You were good too, Serra. But I think you could be even better,” Malik replied.

“How so?”

“Well the primary weakness of your Jar’Kai style of combat is that even though you have two blades, each is powered by the strength of only a single arm. This often requires you to use both swords when forced into a blade-lock situation. But I think you might be able to bypass this, giving you a big advantage in the heat of battle.”

“How? I’m athletic, but I’m not _that_ strong.”

“Well, how did Master Drallig use such blinding fast attacks? Was he that fast on his own?”

“No, I suppose not… he used the Force to aid him.”

“Exactly. He used the Force to enhance his own muscles, enabling him to accomplish feats beyond what his body could normally produce. I bet you could do the same with your muscles, focusing on strength rather than speed. Let’s try it. We’ll attack at the same time, but only use one arm in your blade-lock with me, ok?”

Both struck at once, their lightsabers locked in a struggle for power. As expected, Malik overpowered Serra with relative ease, since he was pushing against her with his entire body weight. She refused to give up, though, and within an hour was able to hold her own against him using the Force. She could have sworn she was becoming stronger on her own as well. All in all, both felt tired yet productive by the time they called it a day, joining Yoda back at his home for the evening.

“Sit. Eat. Worked hard you have today.”

“Thank you,” Serra replied, accepting a bowl of soup from him.

“Master,” Malik said quietly. “Do you know what caused Anakin’s fall?”

Yoda’s face twisted into an expression of inner pain.

“I’m sorry, Master. I don’t intend to cause you grief.”

“Worry not, Malik. It is natural that you wish to know, and as it so happens, know of these events you two should.” Sitting with the two young Jedi, he continued, “Skywalker’s fall… caused it was by a dangerous type of fear: the fear of loss. Remember, raised as a slave he was. Loved his mother deeply, the boy did. Then, right before the Clone War began, perished his mother did. At that time, fallen in love Anakin had with a woman. Married they were. Yet Skywalker’s grief for his mother did not subside. So overcome with anger after her death was he that nearly fell to the Dark Side then he did.

“Back from the brink he was coaxed by his wife, whom he loved so much. Yet obsessed he became with his inability to prevent his mother’s death. Believed he did, as the chosen one, stop people from dying he should be able to. Thus, when recently Skywalker began having nightmares foretelling of his wife’s demise in childbirth, desperate to prevent it from happening he was. Counseled him in this I did, though I did not know at the time the full circumstances. But my advice fell on death ears I fear. It was then that Palpatine, Darth Sidious, approached Skywalker. Told him he did of an ability to prevent death, yet that it was only available through the Dark Side of the Force. Sidious then orchestrated the arrest attempt by Master Windu to appear to be an assassination. Convinced that Sidious must live to save his wife, Skywalker turned on Master Windu, pledging himself to the Sith and becoming Darth Vader.”

“Wow… how did you come to learn all this?” Serra asked.

“During their duel on Mustafar, searched Vader’s feelings Obi-Wan did. Easy it was to uncover his motivations in his enraged emotional state.”

“I assume you’re telling us of this to illustrate the worst possible scenario for us moving forward?” Malik inquired.

“Indeed, though believe that it will come to that I do not. Far more mature the two of you are than Skywalker ever was.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Serra said with a warm smile. “I was… afraid that you would disapprove and shun us.”

“No, Serra. Never would I shun you. The fall of the Order, given me pause it has. Caused me to consider all the reasons for our failures. Challenge our preconceived notions. Though singular attachment drove Skywalker to the Dark Side, before me sits the most loving and true relationship imaginable. One not fueled by greed, but by trust, compassion, and a desire to do good together. Challenges you will face, but overcome them you can, together.”

Malik and Serra smiled at this, eating in silence for a few minutes. Yoda’s approval of their relationship meant more to them than either had realized it would. As they finished their meal, Malik decided to once again ask the question burning within his mind.

“Master, how is it you were able to communicate with me on Alderaan? Does it have anything to do with Master Qui-Gon retaining his consciousness after death?”

“Hmm. Indeed it does. Explain it best, I believe he can.”

_It is a unique and near impossible to master ability_ , came Qui-Gon’s voice. _One might say that I have somewhat achieved that which the Sith have sought for their entire existence: eternal life. They desire it so, yet because of their devotion to the Dark Side, they cannot touch this power._

“So you’re saying this is a power of the Light Side?” Serra asked.

_Not specifically. To retain one’s consciousness after death requires ultimate selflessness. One must surrender completely to the will of the Force. It requires compassion, not greed. In short, love in its purest form. When perfected, this would give one the ability not only to communicate with the living, but also to manifest visually. Some would refer to this as a ghost or a spirit._

“Are you able to appear like that?” Malik inquired.

_I am not. Allow me to explain. In life, I encountered a group of ethereal beings during my travels. The Priestesses of the Force, they called themselves. They existed in a plane between that of the mortal realm and the Cosmic Force that governs all. They are not among the living, yet they retain enough of their consciousness to interact with the mortal realm. When I first met them, they said that they possessed the secret to eternal life and were searching for a worthy successor to gain their knowledge. They believed me that successor._

_I trained with them in secret, a little bit at a time. I told nobody of this, as these concepts were contrary to everything the Order taught of death. At times, Obi-Wan began to worry about me as I went off on extended expeditions alone. As I neared the end of my training, I was called back all of a sudden, as an urgent matter had arisen on Naboo requiring my attention. I am certain you know of the rest, the appearance of the Sith warrior and my failure to subdue him. As my training was incomplete at the time of my death, I cannot appear to you; I can only communicate in this manner. And it took quite some time for me to even be able to accomplish this._

“Master Yoda, for how long have you known of this ability?” Serra asked.

“Not long, a year perhaps. Remember do you my health scare?”

“Of course! I was away on duty but requested permission to come back and work with you on your recovery,” Malik replied.

“Worry not, Malik. In good hands I was. In truth, that scare an attempt it was to communicate with Qui-Gon Jinn. When near death I was, contacted me he did. Led me here to Dagobah, and so my training began. Through trials Qui-Gon put me, before directing me to the Priestesses of the Force to complete my training. Grueling though their tests were, deemed worthy I was in the end to retain my consciousness after death.”

_Master Yoda is their true successor. He managed what I could not. After his death, he will be able not only to communicate with the living, but also to manifest himself as a spirit, if you will._

“Incredible…” Malik marveled. Serra nodded in agreement. “What did you experience in those tests? Master Qui-Gon mentioned that one must commit an act of selflessness. I assume that was part of your training?”

“Yes, but for my knowledge only those details are. Even Master Qui-Gon knows not of what I saw in my trials.”

“I understand.”

“And speaking of trials, feel ready do you for your trial?”

Malik glanced at Serra, who replied, “Yes, but I think a few more days of training would do us good as well. I mean there’s no rush; we’ve got nothing but time at this point.”

“True, quite true,” Yoda said in understanding. “Ah, late it has become. Rest you should before your training continues.”

*****

Over the course of the next week, Malik and Serra worked tirelessly to grow stronger in the Force and with each other. Soon, Malik’s timid hesitation to achieve victory vanished, and he had become quite a dangerous swordsman as a result. Though he still relied on his defensive tactics, the confidence he now displayed was rather intimidating; Yoda remarked that he had a similar look in his eye as Obi-Wan. For Serra, her connection to the Force was growing stronger every day, helping her feel more like a complete Jedi rather than just a warrior. She could now draw on the Force to enhance her body’s capabilities at will, almost without a second thought at all. Malik and Yoda were nothing short of impressed at her improvement; she had nowhere to go but up.

Soon, the two began to rub off on each other in combat styles. At Serra’s urging, Malik began incorporating more athletic flips and acrobatics into his Soresu, giving him increased mobility and an element of surprise. He reasoned that Obi-Wan himself had done this to great effect throughout his career, even after switching to his signature defensive combat style. Making these changes forced Serra to become more pragmatic in their duels. Her usual relentless offensive became near useless against Malik’s defenses, making her dual sabers more of a hindrance than an advantage. But soon she was able to find an effective counter: using the Force not only to enhance her strength and speed, but also to affect the environment around the battlefield. Whether it was a tree root sticking out of the ground or a mess of vines in a tree above, she became ever aware of her surroundings and used those things to her advantage. Though the effect on Malik was minimal, both agreed that it would be of great help to her in a real combat situation.

“Excellent,” said Yoda, watching their work. “Ready I believe you to be for your final trial.”

Nodding, Malik replied, “Let’s do it. You ready for this, Serra?”

“As I’m ever gonna be,” she sighed.

The pair followed Yoda through the swampy marsh, unsure of where he was taking them. Still, both knew better than to question him; Yoda knew what he was doing. Soon, they came upon an entanglement of trees and vines leading to a cave ahead of them. To the average observer, this cave appeared quite unassuming, and a casual glance might even cause one to overlook it. But to a Jedi, the feeling was unmistakable.

“I feel… cold,” Serra observed.

“Me too…”

“This place,” Yoda said quietly, “is strong with the Dark Side of the Force. A domain of evil it is.” He turned back to face the couple. “In you must go.”

“What’s in there?” Serra nervously asked.

“Only what you take with you…”

Taking a deep breath, Serra said, “Let’s go.”

“Hang on a sec,” Malik replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Master, what did you mean by the last thing you said? Only what we take with us?”

“Nothing more I will say. The rest you must discover on your own,” Yoda answered, sitting down on a nearby tree stump.

Serra turned to Malik. “You’re right. That has to mean something. But what?”

“Only what we take with us…” Malik pondered this without end for several minutes before thinking of one potential answer. “What if that means we need to leave our weapons here?”

“Walk in there unarmed? I don’t know if that’s wise, Malik.”

“Serra, we are never unarmed. This is a trial meant to test our connection to the Force; that has to be the key to all this.”

Unsheathing her lightsabers from her back, Serra looked at them for several long moments before placing them on the ground near Yoda. Malik then removed his weapon from his boot and did the same. As they turned toward the cave entrance, Yoda smiled to himself. He was quite pleased to see that they had the insight to decipher the meaning of his cryptic clue.

Malik glanced at Serra. “Together?”

“Together,” she agreed, gripping his hand tightly.

Collecting their courage, the pair took their first steps into the cave…

*****

Darth Vader marched through the corridors of his Star Destroyer, a bit unsteady on his feet. Mere weeks ago, he had been at the pinnacle of his skills and abilities, one of the most feared Jedi Knights in the galaxy. That, of course, was before he had pledged himself to the teachings of his master, Darth Sidious. At first, he knew he needed his master’s power for Padme’s sake, until Vader had killed her in his anger.

_All this is Obi-Wan’s fault_ , he thought to himself. _Because he would not stand by me, the Council never trusted me. Because of him, Padme turned against me. And to top it all off, he crippled me, cut off all my remaining limbs. ___

__Though Vader had planned all along to kill Sidious once he had what he needed to save Padme’s life, the events on Mustafar had ruined everything. Not only had he lost his wife, but Obi-Wan had also taken away any ability for Vader to ever match the Emperor’s power. He could not betray him if he had wanted to; it would spell instant doom for him. His only purpose now was as the loyal servant to his master. And now his master called to him, needing to discuss an urgent matter with his apprentice. Vader arrived in his communications room and knelt before the holographic projector, an image of the Emperor appearing in front of him._ _

__“What is thy bidding, my Master?”_ _

__“Lord Vader. How is the construction of our ultimate solution proceeding?”_ _

__“Everything is on schedule, Master. Tarkin’s leadership has been nothing short commendable.”_ _

__“Excellent. I knew he was the right man for this task. Now, another matter we must discuss. As I am sure you know, we have confirmed that several Jedi managed to survive Order 66.”_ _

__“Yes, Master. They will be hunted down and eliminated. Their betrayal will not go unanswered.”_ _

__“Of this I have no doubt. I have news for you of our plans to form a squad of Jedi Hunters. There are two individuals here on Coruscant that I believe may be most useful to our efforts. I wish you to return here at once.”_ _

__“It will be done, Master. I will prepare my shuttle without delay.”_ _

__As the transmission ended, Vader felt a twinge of excitement that he had not felt since joining Sidious. For the first time, he felt invigorated at the possibilities the future held in forming this team. He would have apprentices once more, and would be able to show them the power of the Dark Side. Yes, perhaps he did still have a purpose in life after all. Entering the hallway, he signaled a nearby officer._ _

__“Prepare my shuttle for immediate departure.”_ _

__“Yes, Lord Vader.”_ _

__Within the hour, Vader’s transport had departed the Star Destroyer hangar and was headed for Coruscant. As the ship entered hyperspace, Vader felt a strange sense of calm descend upon him. Though the future was uncertain, he knew he would be the one to render justice upon the remaining Jedi._ _

_Soon, my old master... soon..._


	5. Chapter 5

“Anything yet?”

“No, nothing,” replied Serra.

The two Jedi crept through the murky cave, looking for potential danger around every corner. Still, both suspected that any threats they would encounter would not be of the physical variety, but of the spiritual. Remaining calm and focused was a constant struggle; as Yoda had said, the cave was strong with the Dark Side of the Force. Through it all, they continued to press onward.

“I’m sensing something up ahead,” Malik said.

“Yeah, I feel it too. It’s something ... evil.”

They clasped hands as they rounded the bend, finally arriving in a circular cul-de-sac. It appeared at first to be completely empty, but the growing presence of evil was unmistakable. As they arrived at the center of the room, everything turned pitch black around them. In the darkness, Malik could no longer feel Serra’s hand within his.

“Serra? Serra! Where are you?!”

But he heard no reply...

*****

“Malik?” Serra said weakly.

To her horror, her true love lay on the floor of the Jedi Temple, his body beaten and bruised, a hole seared through his chest. Around him were the bodies of no less than a dozen younglings, and ahead were the remains of her master, Cin Drallig. As Serra began to weep at the devastation around her, the sound of a lightsaber igniting behind her caught her attention. Relying on her warrior reflexes, she spun to face the threat.

“Skywalker,” Serra seethed.

The former Jedi approached, his hood obscuring his face, though Serra could tell it was twisted into an expression of sick pleasure. He was enjoying this, both seeing the destruction he had caused and the effect it was having on Serra. As she reached for her lightsabers, Serra realized all of a sudden that she was unarmed. She had no weapon to face Skywalker with.

“Look at this,” Anakin whispered. “Look at what you’ve done.”

“Wha ... what? What _I’ve_ done?”

“This is your fault, Serra.”

“No...”

Anakin lunged, his blue blade whirling around him. Drawing on the Force, Serra executed several athletic evasions, cartwheeling backwards to put some distance between herself and Anakin. She attempted to use the many pillars around the room as cover, but this only enraged Anakin further, and he began cutting them down, even throwing his saber into them every so often.

“You were too weak to stop me! You were too weak to protect them! YOU!”

“No ... it can’t be...” Serra whimpered.

“And now look at what you’re reduced to: running and hiding. Pathetic! Did you EVER think you would be able to live up to your master’s expectations! You are a DISGRACE to everything Cin Drallig ever taught you!”

At that moment, Serra attempted to wrest control of the situation from him, leaping out from behind a pillar and attempting a chokehold on Anakin from behind. He was ready for her, swinging his saber wildly and forcing her to disengage. Anakin turned to face her, his eyes burning with rage.

“It’s all ... your ... FAULT!!!”

As he screamed at her, bolts of lightning shot from Skywalker’s hand, striking Serra and knocking her to the ground with a thud. She writhed in pain as he approached, taunting her as he towered over her crumpled form.

“Pathetic ... a sorry excuse for a Jedi.”

*****

Malik stepped through the doors of the Council Chambers and was presented with one of the direst situations he had ever encountered. A group of younglings stood in the corner, huddled around each other in fear. Approaching them was a dark hooded figure, appearing as a beast on the hunt. Hearing him enter, the figure stopped and turned, revealing the face of Emperor Palpatine.

“Malik Ran ... I’ll be with you in a moment,” he croaked before returning his gaze to the children.

“I don’t think so,” Malik replied, stepping forward.

“Heheheh ... and how precisely do you plan to stop me? You are without a weapon, boy.”

Malik smirked. “I’m never without a weapon. I have the Force.”

Just as Palpatine was about to attack, Malik reached out with his mind and telekinetically threw him backwards. Palpatine landed with a thud in Master Yoda’s chair, and he took a moment to compose himself before rising to his feet.

“Brave of you, boy ... but foolish.”

“You will do these young ones no harm.”

Malik leapt into the air straight at Palpatine, attempting to land a Force-fueled punch to his face. The Sith Lord was too quick, though, and evaded with relative ease. He charged the young Jedi and attempted to strangle him, but Malik was ready, stunning Palpatine with a pair of quick jabs to his abdomen. The pair now engaged in their bout of fisticuffs, they each drew on as much of the Force as they were able to, trading blows with incredible speed and strength. But soon Palpatine gained the upper hand, taking advantage of Malik losing his footing for a brief moment. Before he knew what was happening, Malik was flung to the other side of the room and pinned under several of the Council’s chairs.

“Now then, as I said ... I’ll be with you in a moment,” Palpatine said with an evil laugh.

Malik began to realize what Palpatine intended: he wanted to make the Jedi watch helplessly as he murdered the younglings. He approached the group and turned his dark powers on the children, beginning to choke the life out of them with the Force. Malik did everything he could to try and counteract Palpatine’s actions, but to no avail. Seeing no other alternative, Malik decided he had to use the power he swore he’d only use for healing.

“Palpatine! Take this!”

Thrusting his one free hand at the Sith Lord, Malik unleashed a torrent of lightning towards his enemy. Palpatine had no clue what hit him, collapsing at once into a crumpled heap on the floor. The younglings now released, two of them rushed to Malik’s aid, levitating the chairs off of him. All the while, Malik kept up his assault on Palpatine. Though he felt the strong desire to give him a lethal dose of electricity, the Jedi somehow managed to restrain himself. Instead, he kept the level of pain just at the threshold of subduing the target without doing any permanent damage. He sauntered over to the fallen Sith, his pride welling up in him as he towered over Palpatine.

“You ... have failed, boy. You are now ... one of _us_...” Palpatine hissed.

“Wrong. I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You are the one who has failed; failed to grasp the concept of Force Lightning. I have harnessed a force of nature and channeled it for protecting the innocent. You only use this power for death and pain.”

“You ... still ... use it...”

“Only when it is the last resort,” Malik interrupted. “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack. I used the Force to defend these younglings from you. You cannot fool me.”

Sensing that enough of Palpatine’s strength had been drained to where he could be restrained, Malik ceased his use of Force Lightning. Palpatine heaved and gasped on the floor, rolling onto his side.

“Do it ... finish me ... I ... will only ... come back... _stronger_...”

*****

“Perhaps ... if you were more than an illusion,” Malik replied with a grin.

“Ungh...”

“Such a pathetic excuse for a Jedi,” Anakin sneered, at last releasing Serra from his Force Lightning. “All this ... your fault.”

As painful as his words were, Serra tried to regain focus. She pulled on all her knowledge and experience, drew on the Force to illuminate the truth behind Anakin’s words. Finally, she realized how she could escape this pain.

“No... _you_ are the one who is pathetic,” she gasped from the floor.

“What?!”

“ _You_ turned on Master Windu. _You_ killed these younglings! YOU! NOT ME!”

Finding the strength to roll on to her side and face her attacker, Serra smiled at seeing his expression of rage.

“You were so weak, Anakin. You had it all. Talent. Respect. Friendship. Hell, you even had love. And you threw it all away ... because of empty promises.”

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!”

“I am not the disgrace ... you are. You’re pitiful. Insecure. And...”

Anakin charged for her, preparing to run her through with his lightsaber.

“ ... I feel sorry for you,” Serra finally whispered.

Just as he was about to finish her, Skywalker disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. In his place stood her beloved Malik, his face one of shock and surprise.

“Malik...” Serra managed before passing out from exhaustion.

“No ... no, Serra!” Malik screamed, rushing to her side.

Serra’s breathing was heavy and labored. He had seen this before. This time, there was no desperation, no hesitation. This time, Malik knew what to do. Placing both his hands on her chest, he pressed down and delivered a weak electric shock into her body, springing her back awake once again.

“Serra, you’re alright!” Malik exclaimed, helping her sit up.

“Yeah ... looks like you saved my ass again,” she retorted.

“And I always will.”

Sharing a moment of silent admiration, Malik and Serra locked eyes for what seemed like ages before falling into a long, loving kiss. But as they opened their eyes and parted, the couple found that they were now surrounded by the figures of Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Cin Drallig, and Anakin Skywalker before his fall. Each one of them had cross, disapproving expressions on their faces.

“You’re better than this,” said Obi-Wan.

“We must hold ourselves to a higher standard,” said Windu.

“I had such expectations for you, Serra,” said Drallig.

“You’re no better than me,” said Anakin.

On and on it went, the Jedi all taunting Malik and Serra, trying to instill doubt in their minds. At first, Serra was close to tears, tormented by their sharp disapproval. But soon, Malik’s reassuring hand on her shoulder began to calm her down. Gazing into his eyes, everything in the galaxy made sense to her.

“They’re wrong, Serra,” Malik whispered to her over the taunting. “We are better than Anakin; Yoda himself said so. Together, we are stronger in the Force than either of us could ever be on our own. Our whole is greater than the sum of our parts. That is why this is the will of the Force. I finally understand. Serra...”

The voices around them now rose to a crescendo, seeming to shout insult after insult at the pair. Still, they paid them no mind. Serra could only hear the voice of her beloved in those moments. She hung on every word from his lips.

“ ... Will you marry me?”

Serra’s eyes widened at hearing those words. Her heart pounded, her brow perspired. It was everything she had ever dreamed of, yet she could not find the words to reply. At last, with joyful tears streaming down her cheeks, she managed to speak her answer.

“Yes...”

The voices began to quiet as Malik took Serra’s hand, kissing it sweetly.

“Serra Keto, I take you to be my wife. From this day on, I pledge myself to you, to the good we can do together, and to the will of the Force. Whether our days be numerous or few, I am yours to the end.”

Smiling through her tears, Serra cupped Malik’s face in her hands.

“Malik Ran, I take you to be my husband. I love you with all my heart because you are the kindest, bravest man I have ever known. I will be your ever devoted partner, a loving wife, and if the Force is willing, the mother of your children.”

Falling into each other’s arms, the couple sealed their union with a long, tender kiss. No amount of disapproval could ever affect them now; they knew this to be right. As they parted, they now saw that they were once again alone in the cave, not a sound to be heard. Arm-in-arm, they walked out of the cave together.

*****

As they exited, Yoda stood on the nearby tree stump, their lightsabers still resting on the ground in front of him. He wore an enormous grin on his face, and his ears pointed skyward, indicating his joy at seeing them.

“Malik Ran, Serra Keto, step forward.”

The pair moved towards him slowly, their anticipation building. Both knew what was about to happen. Reaching Master Yoda, they each went down on one knee before him. He placed a hand on each of their heads, his eyes closing as he sunk into meditation. After several minutes, he spoke.

“Strong is the Force with you. A difficult path you have chosen, yet proven you have your capabilities to walk it without straying. And so, by the will of the Force, dub thee I do, Jedi Masters ... and husband and wife.”

Both looked up in surprise at his last words.

“You saw that?” Malik asked.

“Of course. Impossible to miss, it was,” Yoda replied with a chuckle. “Master Keto, Master Ran, rise.” As they stood, he continued, “Pleased I am to no end at seeing your growth. Known for years I have that this day would come. The day that we no longer exist as master and student, but as equals.”

Serra choked back a tear as she smiled and replied, “In your mind we may be equals, but to us, you will always be our teacher, Master Yoda.”

“Now, celebrate we must! Come, saved the last of my lifeboat’s rations for a special occasion I have.”

“Master Yoda, we couldn’t eat your best remaining food. It would be ... impolite,” Malik protested.

Laughing, Yoda merely replied, “Wriggle out of this one you will not, Master Malik. Come, we eat.”

Seeing they could not change his mind, the pair followed Yoda back to his makeshift home. They laughed and joked as he prepared the food, clearly in a great mood following their promotions. Of course, Serra had a powerful urge to pounce on her husband right then and there, but she managed to refrain. Soon, Yoda brought them each a plate of food.

“Sit. Eat. Much to be happy for we have.”

Taking his first bites, Malik replied, “Master, you never cease to amaze me. Even after everything that’s happened in the last few weeks, you still manage to keep your optimism.”

“Keeps me going it does.”

“That’s true, I suppose,” Serra said. “It’d be so easy to just give up...”

“Worry not, Master Serra. Good you can still do in your life. Besides, last forever nothing does, not even the Empire. One day, years from now, a new hope will rise to oppose it.”

Malik eyed Yoda for several seconds. “You’re plotting something, aren’t you?”

“Heheh, hide things from you I cannot. Indeed, a plan is in the works. But for you two, best not to know the details it is.”

“That makes sense, in the event we were captured and tortured for information. I mean we would never betray your secrets, but...”

“I’m sure Vader can be quite persuasive,” Serra said, finishing Malik’s thought.

“Yes. But still, stronger you are than you give yourselves credit for. After all, conquered your fears and doubts you have. The cave ... the images it tested me with ... horrible things I saw.”

“I can imagine. I had to face Anakin unarmed,” Serra replied. “He attacked me with Force Lightning, tormenting me. He enjoyed it.”

“Hmm ... yet overcome this you did, yes?”

“I did. I ... I told him the things he blamed me for were actually his fault. He was saying that I was too weak and allowed all the Jedi in the Temple to die. But then I felt something for Anakin that I never thought I’d feel: pity. He had it all, but threw it away on an empty promise. I feel sorry for him.”

“Well done, Serra. Compassion and mercy, powerful weapons against evil they are. Take away evil’s power they do, as you discovered.” Turning to Malik, he continued, “Faced your fears as well, did you?”

“I did. I encountered Palpatine in the Council chambers, attempting to murder a group of younglings. Tried to fight him off, but he beat me back and pinned me to the floor. I had no other choice but ... but to...”

“Go on, Malik.”

Taking a deep breath, he said, “I had to use Force Lightning to stop him. I could have killed him, but ... didn’t. After he tried to taunt me, he ... turned into Serra.”

“We had been fighting each other the whole time,” Serra chimed in.

“I can’t believe ... I used Force Lightning on my wife...” Malik continued, lowering his head in shame. “I was so tempted to kill him, and if I had-”

“But you didn’t,” Serra said with conviction. “You made the right choice, Malik. The fact that you ended up attacking me was not your fault.”

“I know, I guess ... I’m terrified of what I’m capable of with my full power.”

“This fear, very common it is as a Jedi grows. Hold lives in our hands, we often do. Make good decisions we must. Malik, fear this power you should not. Trust yourself, for you have the ability to wield this power for the Light Side of the Force.”

“You really think that? I mean it sure doesn’t feel like a Light Side power, even if lightning itself is only a force of nature.”

“True, of the Light Side it is not. But when using this power, drawing on hate and anger are you?”

“No, of course not! I only used it because it was the only way to protect those children!”

“Precisely. Managed you have to use a power thought to be of the Dark Side without drawing on your inner darkness. A difficult path it is to walk, yet I now bear witness to you doing exactly that.”

_Perhaps ... our friends have the ability to walk the most difficult path of all._

“Ah, Master Qui-Gon. Of which path do you speak?”

_The path of the Gray Jedi._

“Gray Jedi? I thought that was a derogatory term, an insult,” Serra replied.

_To some, yes. Many in the Jedi Order used the term while failing to grasp its true meaning. In recent years, it refers to a Jedi that frequently disagrees with the Council, myself for instance. But in truth, a Gray Jedi is devoted to the will of the Force and keeping the balance of the universe in check. They neither serve the Light nor the Dark, for they realize that neither can ever be destroyed._

“So are you saying you actually were a Gray Jedi in life?” Malik asked.

_I was not. Though I did study some of their teachings, I found some of their methods to be ... unnecessary. In the past, Gray Jedi often took the position of the ends justifying the means. Those parts of their doctrine I rejected straight away, as I suspect you will also when you learn of them. Still, many of their principles are strong and quite applicable to our lives, particularly in these dark times. I think you would do good to at least learn of these things._

“Agree I do. A good thing knowledge is, especially in learning of those who are different from us. And with your maturity and connection to the Force, only wisdom can such knowledge lead to,” Yoda chimed in, smiling at the pair.

“How would we go about learning these things?” Serra inquired.

“On your ship, a backup of the Jedi Archives there is,” Yoda replied. “Unaffected it should be by the attack on the Jedi Temple.”

“So _that’s_ why that ship was such a carefully guarded secret!” Malik realized.

“Indeed,” Yoda smiled. “In the event of the destruction of all our knowledge and texts, a copy we created in secret, its existence known only to the Jedi Council.”

“But Master, given the connotations of the term Gray Jedi in our lifetimes, why would their teachings be retained in the Archives? I would have thought the Council would not have wanted their methods to be public knowledge?” Serra asked.

“In a section of restricted files, this information is. Need the direct consent of the Council one would to access it. Of course, secret the backup on your ship has always been, and no such consent be required.” Standing, Yoda took the dishes from Serra and Malik, placing them aside for cleaning before moving toward his makeshift bed. “Apologies, but late it is, and old I am besides. Rest I need.”

“Of course, Master. We’ll leave you in peace,” Malik answered.

“Sleep well. See you tomorrow,” Serra agreed.

*****

While Malik’s initial thoughts dwelled on the library of information he now knew to be contained on their ship, Serra had other ideas in mind. As soon as they had arrived back in their quarters, she lunged for her husband, tossing him onto the bed and mounting him at once.

“Sheesh, girl! You don’t waste-”

Before he could react further, Serra had already sealed her lips around his, their tongues engaged in a furious duel. Malik couldn’t believe the look in her eyes; she was ravenous, almost animalistic. While it did frighten him a bit, this served to turn him on for the most part. Soon, his hands began working their way down Serra’s back and towards her magnificent ass.

“What’s gotten into you, Serra?!” he asked as they parted, stifling his nervous laughs as best he could. “I’ve never seen you like this!”

“I’ve been hot for you all day,” she replied, her words dripping with desire. “After all, we need to consummate our marriage. It’s been all I could do not to jump your bones in front of Master Yoda. Now shut up and take your shirt off.”

Malik complied without a fuss, sitting up and slipping his tan shirt off and tossing it on the floor. Meanwhile, Serra got to work on his pants, unbuckling them and pulling on the zipper. Stunned by her frantic pace, Malik had barely kicked his boots off by the time she had yanked his pants off of him. With her husband now nude on the bed, Serra stood and peeled off her black tank top, exposing her tantalizing breasts to him. After wriggling out of her tight leather pants, she pounced on him once more and attacked his lips with hers.

After a short yet heavy make out session, Serra could tell that she needed no further foreplay, her pussy juices already dripping onto Malik. As she pressed him against her entrance, she slid onto him with no resistance whatsoever, sliding down to his base in mere seconds. They had refrained from sexual activity for the last few days so as not to distract from their training, and Serra almost reached orgasm right then and there as a result. Placing her hands on Malik’s chest and locking eyes with him, she began riding his cock with everything she had.

Malik was in blissful agony. He loved this woman with all his heart, and the fact that she felt the same way only aroused him further. Combine that with her shorter haircut complementing her incredible body and their aforementioned abstinence, and he was already close to blowing his load. He knew he could suppress this with the Force, but refused on principle to use his training for such purposes. Thankfully, Serra sensed this and slowed her pace a small amount, allowing Malik to pull himself back from the brink. Still, the vigorous nature of this lovemaking session was quite fun for him, and he knew for Serra also. Getting an idea that would allow them to keep their pace up as well as enable more endurance, he wrapped his arms around Serra.

“Hold tight,” he said with a grin.

“Aah!”

Serra yelped in surprise as Malik rolled them both over, landing her on her back. But rather than resume from this position, he first slipped out of her, eliciting one of her pitiful whimpers. He then stood at the foot of the bed and pulled Serra by the ankles towards him, impaling her on his cock as she reached the edge. She didn’t even have time to applaud his seamless transition before his pounding cock sent her screaming into a massive orgasm. Serra thrashed and squirmed, her pussy contracting all around Malik’s length, but he did not let up. From this vantage point, he was able to control the angle of his thrusts to allow for maximum speed while also keeping his own excitement in check.

For the next several minutes, Malik continued to pound his wife, giving her two more orgasms in the process. Serra was soon a moaning puddle beneath him, barely able to support the weight of her own legs, which she had to prop up on his shoulders as a result. After regaining her composure, she suddenly got a wild idea. Pulling Malik out of her, she slid back on the bed and rolled over onto her stomach, pushing her ass up into the air with her knees.

“Malik, do me from behind,” she pleaded.

Once again stunned at how animalistic Serra had become, he stood in silence for a moment to be sure he had heard right.

“Y-you sure?” he finally asked.

“Yes, baby. Please ... I need you...”

Serra reached between her legs and began toying with her entrance, beckoning Malik to fill her up once more. Unable to deny her request, Malik knelt on the bed behind her and aligned his cock with her pussy, pushing forward and into her as she moaned in delight. He began his thrusts slowly, getting used to the increased stimulation of this new angle. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the dresser mirror to his right side, giving him a stunning visual of their amorous activities.

“Serra, look.”

Glancing up, her eyes widened at the sight. “Holy shit, that’s hot...”

Malik increased his pace to match their feverish tempo from before, watching Serra’s face in the mirror all the while. The look of sheer exuberance in her eyes was incredible. From this position, he was far more dominant than he was used to being, yet she loved every second of it and trusted him completely. The fact that he got an unobstructed view of her jiggling ass and heaving breasts only served to arouse him further. After only a minute or two, Malik was already approaching climax. But a nod from Serra told him that’s just what she wanted from him. Surrendering himself, Malik pumped his last into her, exploding into her pussy with a primal moan. He wasn’t sure if she reached orgasm from that action or not, but the huge grin on her face told him it didn’t matter. She had enjoyed every second of that.

Disengaging from him, Serra fell forward, hitting the pillow face first. When Malik joined her on his back, she rolled over to lay her head on his shoulder, kissing his neck and chest sweetly the whole time. As he returned her affections, stroking her hair with his fingers, she began to doze in and out of consciousness. Malik, on the other hand, was wide-awake, invigorated from their passionate and physical lovemaking. His curiosity could only be abated for so long, and he reached over to the nightstand, grabbing the handheld computer screen.

“Always the researcher,” Serra said with a giggle.

“Thought you were asleep,” Malik replied, kissing her forehead.

“Oh, in and out. You looking up the files Master Yoda mentioned?”

“Yep. Let’s see ... here it is: Gray Jedi.” Reading the overview aloud, he continued, “There is no Dark Side, nor a Light Side. There is only the Force. I will do what I must to keep the balance. The balance is what keeps me together. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish. There is passion, yet peace; serenity, yet emotion; chaos, yet order. I am the wielder of the flame, the protector of balance. I am the holder of the torch lighting the way. I am the keeper of the flame, soldier of balance. I am a guardian of balance. I am a Gray Jedi.”

“Wow ... that was their creed?” Serra asked.

“Uh huh. It says here that this creed was the core belief system of a Gray Jedi. All their actions are out of this idea of balance. Though I don’t know if I agree with the assertion that there is no Dark Side or Light Side.”

“Yeah, I can see where that would rub the Council the wrong way. Still, you’ve experienced a bit of that, haven’t you?”

“True, when I used Force Lightning in the cave. Here’s another version of their creed,” Malik replied. “There is no light without the dark. Through passion, I gain focus. Through knowledge, I gain power. Through serenity, I gain strength. Through victory, I gain harmony. There is only the Force.”

“Interesting, combining the principles in the Jedi and Sith creeds. Not sure how I feel about that ... what else does it say?”

“Here we are, early history. Much of this we know from our own history,” he said, clearing his throat. “The Gray Jedi had no official founder or Order of their own, but their origins can be traced back almost four thousand years. In those days, Jedi were decentralized for the most part, having no official academy and each master training their students as they saw fit. But when war erupted between the Republic and the Sith Empire of Exar Kun, the Jedi found that they were in constant danger as thinly spread as they were. Thus, the first Jedi High Council was established on Dantooine.

“As they sought to consolidate their members, the Council enacted new rules and restrictions, particularly on various uses of the Force that were deemed to be of the Dark side. For many Jedi, the final straw was the rule that they could not begin to train any student over the age of four and were prohibited from having families of their own. Once the war had been won, some Jedi, most notably war hero Jolee Bindo, abandoned this new Jedi Order altogether. This public declaration that they could no longer take orders from the Jedi High Council made them the first true Gray Jedi.

“Over the centuries, the Gray Jedi kept to themselves for the most part, but did manage to work with the Jedi Order in dire situations where the greater good necessitated their cooperation. In the Order, some Jedi viewed the Grays as misguided and a bit rash, yet still regarded them as allies. Others, such as Chief Librarian Restelly Quist, saw the Grays as dangerous mavericks that cared only for themselves, only becoming useful when they agreed to follow the orders of the Council without question. In more recent years, some Jedi were branded as Gray merely for disagreeing with the Council, even if they showed their continued loyalty to the Jedi Order.”

“Huh ... I wonder if that’s what happened to Qui-Gon Jinn?” Serra mused.

“Well, let’s ask him,” Malik replied with a grin. “Master, were you in fact branded a Gray Jedi by your peers?”

_I was by some, yes. I spent much of my life in disagreement with the Jedi Council, often disobeying their orders for what I knew to be the greater good. This, however, did not make me a Gray, merely fodder for being called as such._

“That’s true, I guess. By what we’ve read, you’d have to draw on both the Light and the Dark without succumbing to the Dark Side. From all accounts we’ve read on your life, you never came anywhere close to that,” Serra said.

_Indeed. I fear that the feeling of superiority some Jedi got in branding others Gray Jedi is one of the reasons for the fall of the Order. As Yoda mentioned, our stubbornness and inflexibility on matters that challenged our preconceived notions were our undoing. For some Jedi, it was easier to call someone a Gray than it was to actually consider the value of the difference in opinion. Such differences are where the greatest growth and learning often come from._

“I agree. Even if we end up not agreeing with all the doctrines of the Gray Jedi, I think there is great value in what they have to say, particularly in these dark times,” Malik replied.

_Hmm ... in that case, you should travel to Atollon. There resides an individual there known as Bendu. He is not a Jedi, nor is he a Sith. He calls himself the center point of the Force, the middle way if you will. I do not know for how long he has been alive, but his wisdom is immeasurable. If you wish to adopt some of the practices of the Gray Jedi for yourselves, I think it would be good for you to speak with him. You will learn much of your inner balance, or lack thereof._

“Atollon ... I’ll look it up in the morning. Thank you for everything,” Malik said, placing the screen back on the nightstand.

_You are most certainly welcome, my friends. And do not forget: I am always with you, for I am one with the Force now. Do not hesitate to ask if you require my council._

Malik quietly nodded in understanding, seeing that Serra had fallen asleep on his chest. After switching off the light, he soon joined her in unconsciousness.

*****

As the newlyweds made their preparations to leave the next morning, Yoda stopped by to see them off. Though he was sad to see them go, the old Jedi Master couldn’t have been happier at their growth over the previous week. He paced through the halls of the old _Defender_ -class ship and reminisced over the many hours he had spent uploading files from the Jedi Archives to its memory banks.

“It’s almost time, Master,” Serra said from behind him.

“Yes,” he replied in a sad tone.

Seeing his emotion, Serra walked up to her old Master and knelt before him, wrapping him in a warm hug. “We’ll be back someday.”

“No, come back here you should not,” Yoda sighed. “If a frequent destination Dagobah becomes for you, easier for the Empire to find me it will be.”

“I ... I understand,” she replied.

“We have to do what’s necessary,” agreed Malik, entering the hallway with them. “Master, I know we are not strong enough right now, but someday we will challenge Vader and the Emperor. We will be able to set right the galaxy.”

“Admire your conviction I do. Strive for this you should. But more important is to do good, and if possible, outlive the Empire.”

“I suppose that is the simplest form of victory in all this,” Malik said.

“Now, be on your way you must. Important things to accomplish you have,” Yoda said, bowing to Malik and Serra.

“We won’t disappoint you,” Serra answered.

“You two? Disappoint? Never!” Yoda shot back with a laugh. “One thing more. Considered have you what to name your ship?”

“You’re not the first person to ask, Master. And I actually had a thought on that just last night,” Malik replied. “Something Master Qui-Gon said to us last night. He was telling us of the being known as Bendu.”

“Yes, familiar with him I am. Wise I know him to be, but in quite a different way from the Jedi.”

“Qui-Gon said he was the center point of the Force, the middle way. That’s what struck me as the perfect name for our ship: the _Middle Way_.”

“Hmm ... a worthy name it is.”

“I love it,” Serra agreed, kissing Malik on the cheek. “Guess it’s about that time.”

“Yeah.” Malik turned to Yoda. “Master, thank you ... for everything.”

“My pleasure it was. Great things you two can accomplish.”

“We will be thinking of you, Master.”

“And I as well, Serra. May the Force be with you both.”

Yoda departed with a sad smile and the two Jedi powered up the ship for departure. Before long, they had left Dagobah behind them, heading towards their next destination.

“Ok, Atollon. Let’s see where it is...” Malik muttered as he studied the star chart.

“There! Wow, that’s quite a distance from here, almost across the whole galaxy.”

“Yeah, and we’ll have to plot our course with care. Look, almost every path takes us through occupied Imperial space.”

“Hmm ... the most direct route would have us passing near Coruscant. I don’t think that would be the wisest course,” Serra agreed.

“Looks like we can take a route almost as direct around this way,” Malik surmised. “This way, the only major system we come close to is Mandalore. Still occupied by the Empire, but the siege has been ongoing there for months. They’d be too distracted to track us.”

“Sounds good.”

Malik programed the hyperspace coordinates, and soon the Jedi were speeding across the galaxy. A while later, they received a warning of a heavily occupied part of space ahead, necessitating their exit from hyperspace. As they dropped out of lightspeed, both knew exactly where they were.

“Shit ... we’re right in the middle of the Mandalore system. And those are Imperial ships on the scanner; better power up the cloaking systems,” Serra said.

“On it.”

Now flying silently, the pair made their way with caution through the mess of Imperial warships. Along the way, Malik scanned various radio channels to see if he could pick up on any of their transmissions. Most were encoded, but a few came through unhindered. It seemed the Empire was on the hunt for a fugitive thought to be on the surface of Mandalore. The messages gave no indication about who the fugitive was, but did make it clear that whoever it was had turned on the Empire before fleeing. Finally past the fleet of ships, Malik was about to reenter hyperspace when he picked up a nearby distress signal.

“Let’s see what we’ve got,” he said to himself. “Huh ... the signal is heavily encrypted, using the same frequency Senator Organa used. What do you think that means?”

“Not sure,” Serra replied. “I’ve got a lock on the signal. It appears to be a small escape pod of some kind. I say we check it out; could be a Jedi on the run.”

“Agreed.”

Serra piloted the ship towards the signal, soon spotting a tiny one-man escape pod approaching. They dropped their cloaking systems at the last second, drawing the escape pod into the cargo bay by way of their tractor beam. As they prepared to go investigate, a thought occurred to Malik.

“Serra ... do you know who’s been stationed on Mandalore?”

“No, who?”

“Ahsoka Tano. I’d bet this is her we’ve picked up!”

“Really?! I thought she had left the Order?” Serra asked.

“Yes, but she still wanted to assist with the war effort. Started out with intelligence gathering, which led up to the Siege of Mandalore. But when Obi-Wan and Anakin were called back to rescue the Chancellor, she returned to active duty to command the battalion of clones. As far as I know, she’s been there ever since.”

“I hope it is her ... she’s been through so much, I just want to know she’s alright...”

Malik grimaced at remembering Ahsoka’s expulsion and trial. He had come so close during that time to leaving the Order himself, but he decided to stay after a long talk with Serra and Cin Drallig. The fact that Obi-Wan had furiously defended Ahsoka in spite of the Council’s majority opinion gave him hope that the possibility of a better future still existed. Shaking his head, he pushed those painful memories from his mind as they entered the cargo bay, finding the escape pod sealed shut.

“Let’s see what we’ve got,” Malik said, reaching for the hatch release.

“I’m ready, just in case,” Serra replied, a hand on her lightsaber.

Malik nodded in agreement; no sense in being careless. They did not yet know if the occupant was indeed friend or enemy. He pulled the lever, and the pod hissed as it depressurized and opened. Malik peered inside, but the occupant was hidden by a shadow.

“Good lord, I can’t believe somebody found me!” came a gruff male voice.

Malik tensed up; he knew the distinctive voice coming from the pod, as he had been surrounded by that voice throughout the entire war. As the occupant stepped forward, Malik drew his lightsaber, Serra responding in kind.

“Clone trooper,” he seethed.

“We’ve gotta do something before he contacts the Empire!” Serra protested.

“Wait! I mean you no harm!” the clone replied, throwing his hands up. “My guns are on my hip; take them as you please.”

“What are you doing here, clone?” Malik demanded with more than a bit of hostility in his voice. The last clones he and Serra had seen had tried to kill them, and had already slain many of their friends. As he spoke, Serra used the Force to disarm him of his weapons.

“My name’s not clone, General Ran.”

“You know me then?”

“Know you?! You saved a dozen of my men from certain death on Geonosis!”

“No ... CT-7567?!”

“That is my official designation. But as you well know, my friends call me Rex,” he replied with a grin.


	6. Chapter 6

“That is my official designation. But as you well know, my friends call me Rex.”

“Yes… Captain Rex of the 501st legion,” Malik replied.

“The same, sir.”

“Also the legion that slaughtered all our friends in the Jedi Temple,” Malik seethed, gripping his lightsaber tightly.

“I had nothing to do with that,” Rex said calmly.

“Is that so?! Then which Jedi _did_ you turn on, huh?” Malik shot back, taking a step forward, the tip of his lightsaber precariously close to Rex’s face. “These betrayals happened all over the galaxy, Jedi being slaughtered by the clones they regarded as friends.”

“I… I know…” Rex hung his head. “I cannot condone the actions of my brothers, sir. All I can say for sure is that I have never and will never betray my Jedi comrades. And I can prove it.”

“How?” Serra asked, not relaxing for a moment.

“Look.” Rex turned slowly to face away from the pair, keeping his hands up the whole time. “Here, where my neck meets my head.”

“What is that?” Malik asked, noticing a scar on the skin.

“That is where my inhibitor chip once was.”

“Inhibitor chip?” Serra repeated.

“It’s a tiny biochip implanted in every clone from birth,” Rex explained. “Its primary purpose is ensuring our absolute loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.”

“Palpatine,” Malik spat.

“Correct. But beyond that, I made a terrifying discovery a few months ago. One of my men came to me bordering on insanity. He kept talking about a grand conspiracy to force us clones to commit a horrible atrocity, and that the cover-up went as high as the leaders of the Republic. He died before we could verify any of it, and Palpatine closed the matter straight away, but I continued to research his claims. Though I never confirmed the conspiracy itself, this led me to discover the existence of the inhibitor chips. Realizing that these chips could force us to commit the atrocity of which he spoke, I removed my own in secret.”

“And those chips contained the program used to nearly wipe out the Jedi Order,” Malik finished.

“Yes, sir,” Rex sighed. “I am only sorry that I could not gather enough evidence to convince any more of my brothers to follow my lead.”

“How do we know we can trust you?”

“You were always our best interrogator, sir. You could tell through the Force if any captives were lying. Am I?”

Malik concentrated for a moment before replying, “No… no you’re not.” He and Serra put their weapons away.

“Rex,” Serra said, “you were stationed on Mandalore with Ahsoka Tano, is that right?”

“Yes, ma’am. When the clones received the call for Order 66, she became an immediate target. Thankfully, she was out on reconnaissance alone at the time, and I volunteered to track her down myself. I caught up to her and warned her of the incoming danger, but by then my battalion had followed and opened fire on her. But thanks to some quick thinking on her part, she made it appear that she had killed me before making her escape. This allowed me to fake my death; hell, there’s even a tombstone with my name on it down there! A powerful and resourceful Jedi that one is. Just like her master,” Rex said with a smile.

“Um, Rex,” Malik began, but he then felt Serra’s hand on his shoulder.

“You deserve to know… Anakin didn’t survive the attack on the Jedi Temple,” Serra said. “I’m so sorry, Rex. I know he was among your closest friends.”

With a heavy sigh, Rex replied, “It was bound to happen sometime… as powerful a Jedi as he was, I have no doubt he was made a top target. And the 501st legion knew his tactics and strategies better than anyone…”

Before anything more could be said, the ship was suddenly rocked by an incoming attack.

“Shit! I left the cloaking device off!” Serra realized, rushing to the cockpit.

Malik and Rex ran after her, arriving in the cockpit to find her frantically working the console.

“It’s no good; some of the couplings came loose,” she said.

“Rex, can you fly this thing?” Malik asked.

“I can fly anything, sir.”

“Then get us out of here. Serra, go down below and get to work on the cloaking systems. I’ll get the weapon systems up and running.”

Serra dashed off to the engine area while Rex took her place in the captain’s chair. As Malik powered up the targeting computers, he noticed an immediate difference in Rex’s skillful defensive flying.

“What have we got, sir?”

“Looks like two recon fighters,” Malik replied. “Their fast, but not heavily armed. But I bet they’ve already called for reinforcements.”

“Why do you say that? They don’t know who’s on this ship, do they?”

“They caught sight of us as we made our escape from Coruscant in this thing, and nearly cornered us on Ord Mantell. There’s no other ship in the galaxy like this one; we’re a marked target,” Malik explained.

“Then we’d better get the hell out of here.”

“Just keep us on course; I can’t program the hyperspace coordinates and fire the guns at the same time, but I can hold ‘em off until Serra gets the cloaking unit up and running.”

As Rex continued his evasive maneuvers, Malik brought the turrets online and returned fire. The fighters chasing them were quite agile, evading with relative ease while continuing to pepper their shields with blaster fire. The chase continued for several minutes, when Rex noticed another ship in the distance also being pursued by Imperial fighters.

“Sir, you see that?”

“Yeah, that’s odd… but we’re in no position to help them at the moment,” Malik replied.

“I’ve got it!” Serra exclaimed as she burst into the cockpit. “Engage the cloaking device!”

“Done,” Malik said, flipping a switch.

As soon as they had disappeared, Rex executed several swerves to throw off their attackers. As they scanned for any sign of the Jedi ship, a group of five reinforcement fighters arrived on the scene to assist, though they were as clueless as the first two. Deciding to give up on them for the time being, the group converged and went after the ship in the distance being pursued by an additional two fighters.

“Whew… that was close,” Rex sighed, wiping the sweat from his shaved head.

“Yeah, but that ship over there won’t stand a chance, not with nine Imperial fighters on its tail,” Serra said.

“Hang on, got an incoming transmission,” Malik said.

_“…Concordia is in need of immediate assistance! This is Bo-Katan Kryze of the Night Owls Mandalorian Resistance Force! If anyone can hear this message, please render aid!”_

“Sounds like our work’s not done,” Malik said to Serra.

“Yep.”

“Wait, you can’t be thinking of jumping into this fight!” Rex protested. “Bo-Katan Kryze killed lord-knows-how-many of my men on Mandalore last year!”

“And then allied with the Republic by saving General Kenobi’s life,” Malik fired back. “She put herself in danger to help the Jedi, so we’re going to help her now. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Besides, we have the element of surprise,” Serra said with a grin. “I’ll take the controls, you two go man the heavy guns.”

Rex and Malik rushed out of the cockpit towards the two heavy laser cannon installations, located on each end of the hammer-like bow of the ship. Though Malik had been able to control them remotely before, having gunners in full control would be a great advantage for them against the numbers they were about to face. Malik strapped in and activated his targeting systems, testing his commlink with Rex and Serra.

“Ok, we’re gonna stay cloaked as much as possible,” Serra told the pair. “Wait for my signal to fire.”

She approached the cluster of fighters converging on the Mandalorian gunship, lining Malik and Rex up to be able to take them out before they knew what was happening.

“Rex, I’ll take these three in front of me, you get the three nearest you. That’ll thin their numbers out a bit,” said Malik.

“Roger that.”

“OPEN FIRE!” came Serra’s command.

Malik and Rex fired in unison, targeting the cluster of fighters near them. Though each managed to destroy a pair, the remaining five ships recovered enough to scatter and try to regroup. Meanwhile, the two men stopped firing long enough for Serra to move them to another position, as they remained cloaked and undetectable so long as they weren’t firing their weapons. By now, the Mandalorian gunship had recovered enough to be able to return fire on its own, assaulting the fighters from a distance. Taking advantage of this distraction, Rex drew on his extensive training and took out another pair of fighters in quick succession. After Malik shot down another by using the Force to anticipate its movements, the remaining two fighters turned to retreat.

“That’s right, bugger off!” Rex cheered.

“Nice shooting, Rex!” Malik agreed.

Returning to the cockpit, the pair found Serra opening a line of communication to the Mandalorian gunship.

“Come in _Concordia_. This is the _Middle Way_. Are you alright?”

The face of a tall, slender, redheaded woman appeared on the screen. Malik immediately recognized her as the leader of the Night Owls.

_“This is the Concordia. We’re fine, got a little cooked but no major damage. Thank you for your help. A few minutes longer, and we might’ve been goners.”_

“Our pleasure. Will you be able to get out of here on your own, or will you need additional help?” Serra asked.

_“We’ll be ok. Middle Way, huh? I’ll keep my eyes out for you; look us up if you’re ever in this part of the galaxy again. We Mandalorians repay our debts.”_

“Will do. _Middle Way_ out.”

As Serra broke the connection, Malik wondered aloud, “Why was the Empire attacking them? Bo-Katan was the one who got the Republic to help Mandalore back when Maul first took it over.”

“Not sure. I know Maul managed to escape Mandalore, despite the best efforts of Ahsoka and myself to capture him,” Rex replied.

“With the Siege of Mandalore pretty much over, we can only assume that the Empire has taken firm control of the planet. After all, their persistent neutrality was seen as a heavy burden for the Republic during the war, and most in the government wished they hadn’t been so stubborn,” Sera mused. “If the Empire has taken control of the entire Mandalorian government, I would bet Bo-Katan and her crew are fleeing into hiding. I remember reading a report that they refused to accept Maul’s leadership, so why would they submit to the Emperor after that?”

“It’s as good a theory as any,” Malik agreed. “They might be helpful to us someday.”

“Be careful, sir,” Rex cautioned. “Bo-Katan is still a merciless warrior. Trusting her crew could be a fatal mistake, believe me.”

“Never said I would trust her, Rex,” Malik replied with a grin. “But there is that old saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Sounds like we share a common foe with her.”

“So what’s our plan?” Rex asked. “We’re all fugitives now, need a good place to hide out.”

“Well, before we picked you up, we were on our way to Atollon,” Sera said.

“Atollon? Why? I mean I’m all for hiding in remote locations, but there’s nothing there! No villages, trading posts, nothing of the sort,” Rex protested.

“Let’s just say it’s… Jedi business,” Malik replied. “But I completely understand if you want no part of it, Rex. Just say the word, and we’ll take you wherever you need to go. No questions asked.”

“Well… I suppose there’s no harm in traveling with you two for a while. That is, if you wouldn’t mind. I don’t want to impose-”

“Done,” Serra interrupted. “You have a place on our ship as long as you want it, Rex. You’re more than a mere soldier to us; you’re our friend.”

“Thanks, that’s all very sweet, but shouldn’t we be in hyperspace by now?” Rex asked with a chuckle.

“Got the coordinates programed. Hang on,” Malik replied, activating the _Middle Way’s_ hyperdrive unit.

“Malik, why don’t you assign Rex a bedroom? Give him a place to rest his head, ya know?” Serra asked.

“Sounds good. Rex?”

“Agreed. Haven’t slept in two days…”

The soldier followed Malik from the cockpit and down the main hallway of the ship, first passing by the entrance to the captain’s quarters. They soon made their way to the bunk area, containing four rooms with a pair of beds in each. Malik opened the nearest one and entered, beckoning Rex to follow.

“Here we are, all yours.”

“So I won’t be bunking with you, sir?”

“Nope, you’ll have the place to yourself,” Malik said with a grin.

“Good… that’s good…”

“You ok, Rex?”

“Oh, yes. Sorry, I guess it's... we clones aren’t allowed to get used to the idea of having a place to call our own. Goes against our loyal soldier programming. Our lives are not our own.”

“I understand,” Malik replied. “With the fall of the Jedi Order, Serra and I have had a lot of things to adjust to as well. This is a new world we’re living in, and it can be frightening.” Sighing, he continued, “Listen… there’s something I want to go ahead and fill you in on. You’re going to find out at some point regardless, and I don’t want it to be awkward for you or anything.”

“Sir?” Rex asked in confusion.

“Serra and I got married yesterday.”

“That’s wonderful, sir! Congratulations!” Rex said, grabbing Malik into an excited handshake. “Why would you think that awkward?”

“It’s something that Serra and I are still getting used to, being in love. It goes against everything the Jedi Order ever taught us.”

“Hmm… I can relate to that, I suppose.”

“What do you mean?” Malik inquired.

“Well, we clones were forbidden from that as well. Not only from falling in love, but also from any sort of physical intimacy. It’s part of our programming, to prevent any corrupted genetic material from replicating itself.”

“The Kaminoans didn’t want to make copies of copies…” Malik mused.

“Exactly.”

“But I would have thought they would simply have prevented that by making you and your brothers incapable of having children?”

“I’d have thought so too, but apparently not. I actually encountered a clone deserter once. He had left the army in secret, settled down, married a beautiful Twi’lek girl, and had a couple of kids even. At first I hated him; saw him as a traitor. But…”

“But you saw how much he cared for his family, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Rex replied. “In spite of his actions against his brothers, the man lived his life with honor. He’d do anything to keep his family safe. The experience was a tough pill to swallow, but I’m still glad I didn’t turn him in.”

Malik walked up to him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “And now, it’s your turn to build your own future. I don’t care what your original programming says; your life is your own now. You have every right to live it as you wish. That right is what we Jedi have fought our entire existence to preserve. And if you want to fall in love with a beautiful girl,” he continued, poking Rex in the chest, “you have every right to do so.”

Sighing, Rex said, “Thank you, sir. I… I know it’ll take time, getting used to this new freedom that’s been thrust upon me. But I’m glad you two found me. Sounds like it’s what the Force wanted to happen, if one believes in that sort of thing.”

“I happen to think this is the will of the Force,” Malik grinned. “We don’t just happen upon a clone trooper, we happen upon _the_ best soldier in the army, _and_ find that he refused to betray the Jedi! If that’s not the will of the Force, what is?”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Oh and one more thing: don’t call me sir. It’s Malik. That’s an order, soldier.”

“Yes s… er, Malik.”

“Sleep well, Rex,” Malik said, closing the door behind him.

“Night.”

Now alone with his thoughts, Rex paced around the small bunkroom, contemplating all that had happened in the last several days. Faking his death with Ahsoka, helping her avoid detection during her escape, these things were all within the realm of expectation. But leaving Mandalore in an escape pod and immediately being found by two Jedi? And _not_ being stabbed on sight? Beyond anything he had ever expected after what happened to the Jedi. Rex supposed that he’d find a desolate planet filled with traders somewhere in the Outer Rim to live out the rest of his days in quiet. Never had he imagined that he’d have a bed to sleep in, and crewmates that considered him their friend!

Everything was so topsy-turvy for him, especially the revelation of Malik and Serra’s marriage. His time spent with Kenobi and Skywalker had made it quite clear that such behavior was forbidden to Jedi. By his limited understanding, he knew it had something to do with singular attachment, but had never considered it much beyond that. Besides, it was always a point of contention between Skywalker and Kenobi, and the last thing he wanted was throw fuel on the fire. By those limited interactions, he had always pictured a Jedi losing complete control emotionally because of that singular attachment. But here on this ship were two Jedi not only in love, but also in complete control of their situation. Could it be that the spats between Kenobi and Skywalker over this issue were all for naught?

One by one, Rex peeled off the pieces of his armor. He was without helmet, but that suited him after what his brothers had done to the Jedi; he no longer wished to be seen as a member of the Grand Army. His armor now piled in the corner, he stripped off his skin-tight undershirt and pants, leaving his hardened, muscled form completely nude. Climbing the ladder into the top bunk, he lay back on the pillow and pulled the sheets up to cover his body. A small part of him resented Malik for telling him of his relationship with Serra. At this very moment, they were probably ravaging each other, and their bed sheets a tangled mess around their bodies. For the first time in his life, Rex felt… lonely.

Without even realizing it, his hand began to travel down his body, and before he knew it, his fingertips were brushing against the hard length of his cock. He pulled back at first on instinct, but soon resumed, feeling the strange sensations of stimulating himself. Rex had never done this, even in all his years serving in the Army of the Republic; none of the soldiers ever had any privacy, and such behavior was against their programing in any case. But without his inhibitor chip, it seemed as though he couldn’t have stopped himself if he had wanted to, which he didn’t. As he continued to stroke himself, his thoughts turned for some reason to his life up to this point. He had known nothing but training, combat, and strict obedience to commands. Yet now, he was free in a sense. Free from the orders of Palpatine, at least. But could he ever be free from his clone programing?

As his orgasm began to build, the answers seemed to escape him, and he instead focused on the incredible feelings bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. He thought of no one person individually, simply enjoying the new and forbidden sensations. Harder and harder he pumped his cock, now using a full loose fist. He groaned, his eyes rolled back into his head, and his cock began to twitch with every little movement he made. Soon, he shot several jets of hot, sticky cum into the sheets, the smell of his seed filling the room. With a heavy sigh, Rex curled up on his side, feeling the call of sleep wash over him. As he drifted in and out of consciousness, one final thought went through his mind.

_Malik and Serra really are lucky…_

*****

The next morning, Rex awoke relaxed and refreshed, even though he probably could have used a few more hours of sleep. Nonetheless, he was up and wide-awake, deciding to go ahead and shower and dress for the day. After raiding the pantry for a ration packet, he slipped his armor back on and made his way to the cockpit. As he approached the door, he grinned at seeing Malik in the pilot’s chair with Serra sitting playfully on his lap, kissing her way down his neck. He was about to make himself scarce and give them some privacy, but Serra came through the door as he turned his back.

“Morning, Rex!” she said.

“Oh, uh, morning Serra.” He stammered a bit, continuing, “I w-wasn’t snooping or anything, I just…”

“Rex, Malik and I are married, and we aren’t ashamed of it. It’s taken a lot of work, but we’re very comfortable with our relationship now. More public displays of affection are becoming a part of our norm. Of course, if that makes you uncomfortable, we can always tone it down.”

“Um… nah doesn’t bother me. But I didn’t want you to think I was watching ya or anything.”

“Not at all. Come on in, we’re nearing Atollon.”

Following Serra into the cockpit, Rex now saw that Malik was seated in his usual copilot’s chair.

“Morning, Rex. Sleep well?”

“Very,” he replied with a grin, taking the seat behind Serra.

“Ok, coming up on Atollon,” Serra said.

“Planetary readings are coming in,” said Malik. “Barren planet, very hot and dry, few signs of life. Pretty much the opposite of our last stop.”

“Where was your last stop?” Rex asked casually.

“Sorry, but it’s kinda classified, Rex,” Malik replied.

“No worries. I get it.”

“Any sign of where we should set down?” Serra asked.

“Let me see…” Malik stretched out with his feelings, trying to sense any creature strong with the Force. “Think I’ve got something… yeah, near the equator in the western hemisphere.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I just felt a massive spike in the Force coming from that area.”

“Alright, bringing us in for landing.”

Serra maneuvered the _Middle Way_ through the dry atmosphere of the planet, scanning the desert below for a safe spot to land. Seeing a clearing in the middle of the rocky outcroppings, she decided that was as good a spot as any, bringing them gently to the ground. By the time they landed, the pair noticed that the sun was beginning to set, causing the temperature to plummet.

“Looks like we’ll need our cold weather gear,” Serra mused.

“Agreed. Rex, you good with keeping watch over the ship?”

“No problem. I have no clue what you two are up to on this forsaken rock, but good luck out there.”

The two Jedi bundled up in their heavy jackets before venturing out into the crisp twilight of Atollon. With great concentration, Malik was able to sense the presence of a being strong with the Force nearby.

“That way… through that canyon.”

“Let’s go, then,” Serra replied, taking his hand in hers.

As they made their way through the rocky outcroppings, the Jedi began to sense a presence following them.

“You feel that?” Malik asked.

“Yeah… it’s almost like… we’re being hunted.”

“Wait! I thought… I saw something up top.”

Serra looked up to the lip of the canyon. “I don’t see anything, Malik.”

“Yeah… it’s probably nothing. Come on, let’s keep moving.”

As soon as he finished speaking, they were startled by a strange hissing sound coming from behind them. The Jedi spun around, Serra drawing her lightsabers from her back. Though they saw nothing at first, there soon came a hoard of human-sized spiders approaching them on the canyon walls.

“LET’S MOVE!” Serra shouted, taking off down the pathway.

“Right behind you!”

Realizing they’d be sitting ducks out in the open, the pair sprinted for a nearby cave, the creatures nipping on their heels the whole time. Malik kept them at bay with a few well-timed Force Pushes, and they had soon reached the cave. They concentrated together, collapsing the rocks around the entrance to block the spiders from chasing them any further… for the time being.

“Whew… that was close…”

“I’ll say,” Malik agreed. “This is a dangerous place. Still, no more dangerous than Coruscant would be by now.”

“True.”

They soon found that the cave was actually a short tunnel leading to an exit from the canyon. Now back out in the open, the Jedi emerged in a large clearing of sand with rock formations scattered throughout. In the center, the sand dipped down to form a large bowl, complete with a massive pile of boulders in the center. In spite of all the formations being natural, the whole place felt very much like a temple.

“The Force is strong here… we’re close,” Malik whispered.

Serra nodded and stepped forward beside Malik. They strolled through the clearing, inspecting each of the rock formations as they went, each as unmoving and unremarkable as the last. After fifteen minutes of quiet inspection, they moved towards the bowl in the center, jogging down the hill towards the pile of boulders. Serra approached first, brushing her hand along one of the rocks while reaching out with the Force. Still, nothing happened.

“You sure this is the right place?” she asked.

“Oh yes… I can feel it,” Malik replied. “There is something here. Something of… immense power.”

“Indeed there is,” came a deep, ominous voice.

Malik and Serra jumped back as the boulders seemed to spring to life, a gigantic creature rising from beneath them. The rocks did not fall off of the creature as they had expected, rather clinging to it like armor or thick hide. As it continued to stand, the Jedi finally got a good look at the owner of the deep voice. The creature appeared somewhat humanoid, standing on its hind legs and hunching over to balance with its arms. Its chest was covered with reddish-brown fur, which extended up to the creature’s face in a thick beard. Upon gazing into its eyes for the first time, Malik noticed that the creature had a cattle-like appearance, like that of a full-grown male nerf.

“Welcome, wielders of the Ashla.”

“Wow… Are you… the one known as Bendu?” Malik asked.

“I am.”

“Our apologies for awakening you, but we were instructed to seek you out. My name is Malik Ran, and this is Serra Keto, my wife. We are Jedi Masters.”

“So… not all the Jedi have passed on. Interesting,” Bendu replied.

“No, though our numbers are teetering on extinction as is,” Serra said.

“Yes, I have felt it. The Bogan has grown strong…”

“Bogan?” Malik inquired.

“Of course, I shall explain. All living creatures are one with the Force, as you well know. The Jedi and the Sith are opposites, devoted to the Ashla and the Bogan, or what you refer to as the Light and the Dark. I am the one in the middle. I am the Bendu.” He gazed at the two of them before continuing, “Tell me, why were you instructed to seek me out? Who would know of my existence?”

“Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn,” Serra replied.

“Hmm… I do not know him, but his name is legend among the Living Force. But I am given to understand that he has been dead for quite some time.”

“He is, but before his death, he discovered a secret allowing him to retain his consciousness after death. This has how he has been able to council us from beyond the grave,” Malik explained.

“Fascinating… so it _is_ possible.” Bendu hunched over further, lowering his face closer to the Jedi. “And why would he send two Jedi Masters to me? Surely as Jedi Masters, there is nothing left to learn, yes?”

Malik grinned, detecting the sarcasm dripping from his voice. “We are always learning, Bendu. Learning is not an event; it’s a process. A journey.”

“Ah… you are quite in balance with the Force, young man,” Bendu said with a smile.

“Thank you. As to why Qui-Gon would send us here, it’s a bit complicated.”

“Most things are,” Bendu agreed.

Taking a deep breath, Malik continued, “With the fall of the Jedi order, we survivors have taken pause to consider all the reasons for our failure. Our delusions of joining the Clone War as a noble crusade, the stubbornness of the Jedi Council, and disillusionment amongst the ranks of Jedi Knights, all these things contributed to our downfall.”

“Master Yoda blames himself more than anything,” Serra chimed in. “He knows that our actions and stubbornness made us blind to the rise of the Sith. He feels responsible, that he should have been able to stop them in time. In his meditations, he has now come to believe that stopping the Sith and the Empire will require Jedi who are willing to do what is necessary when the time comes. Violence is not the Jedi way, but should be used when it is for the protection of the innocent. And in these dark times, the innocent are more vulnerable than ever, as you can imagine.”

Malik nodded. “Master Qui-Gon believes that Serra and I have the ability to walk the path of the Gray Jedi. As we began to research their beliefs, he suggested to us that we seek you out, that you might be able to guide us.”

“Hmm… I see. You wish to discover the middle way,” Bendu surmised.

“That’s correct. We still hold true to many Jedi principles, but we have already broken others for what we believe to be the greater good,” Serra answered.

“Such as your union into marriage?” Bendu asked.

“Exactly,” said Malik. “I personally believe that, in their stubbornness, the Jedi Order became disconnected from the will of the Force. We held firm to our traditions for so long that we often lost sight of the bigger picture. Serra and I are together because we believe it to be the will of the Force. It does go against Jedi teachings, but…”

“Singular love is not always a weakness,” Bendu finished. “Yes, I understand quite well your newfound beliefs. By surrendering yourselves to the will of the Force, and thus to each other, you two have become stronger and more complete than you ever would have on your own. The Force permeates everything.”

“Even singular love,” Serra realized.

“Especially love, in all forms!” Bendu said with a booming laugh. “While the Jedi may have been stubborn traditionalists in the Force, their teachings are still rooted in love and commitment, even if they restrict singular love. But the Sith will always be doomed to failure, for they fail to grasp that the way they call upon the Force is unnatural. Yes, Jedi have become Sith supposedly in the name of singular love, but their descent into the Bogan always stems from a thirst for power and a focus on the passion of their love, rather than the commitment it symbolizes.”

“Whereas our relationship is built on trust, compassion, and a desire to help as many people as we can, together,” Serra finished.

“Precisely. I like you two. To receive my teachings best, my students must be in perfect balance with the Force… and with themselves,” Bendu said, lowering his head in meditation. “Malik… I sense that you still doubt yourself, yes? It seems… you have tapped into a power so great that you fear what you are capable of with it. Is this true?”

“It is. I’ve discovered the power of Force Lightning, and have perfected using it without drawing on the Dark Side.”

“An incredible feat. Young man, you must trust yourself. You are more in balance with the Force than any I have ever met. Conquer your inner fears, and there will be no limit to what you can do.” Bendu then turned to Serra. “Serra… I sense no fear in you whatsoever. You are strong and courageous, and would gladly give your life for those that you care about. Yet a greater balance with the Force can be achieved, with the right motivation of course.”

“I… realize that, as strong a warrior as I am, my knowledge of the Force pales in comparison to Malik’s.”

Bendu chuckled. “Perhaps, but I believe the distance between the two of you is not as great as you may fear, young lady. If you wish, I can help you gain perfect balance with the Force.”

“Of course!” Serra replied, her eyes lighting up. “What do I need to do?”

Bendu said nothing, but hunched back over, pounding the ground once with his massive fists. This caused a shift in the sands, opening up the entrance to a tunnel off to the side of the area. Before either of the Jedi could comprehend what was happening, a group of the spiders from the canyon emerged and began to surround the pair.

“Where did they come from?!” Serra exclaimed as they drew their lightsabers.

“You will not need those,” Bendu said, pulling their weapons from their hands with the Force. “This puzzle is one you must solve without violence.”

“What?” Malik said, seeming to detect something in his statement.

Before anything more could be said, the giant spiders swarmed in and surrounded Malik. Distracted as he was by Bendu’s wording, the creatures swooped in and placed him on their backs, dragging him into the tunnel with them. Serra gave chase as best she could, but he was gone from sight before she could even get close to him. Enraged at this turn of events, she turned back to Bendu.

“What is the matter with you?! Why would you do that to my husband?!”

“Calm yourself, Serra. Malik is in no immediate danger. The krykna spiders are terribly misunderstood creatures. Venture into their home and find your husband. In doing this, you will find balance with the Force.”

Realizing that she had no other choice, Serra turned and peered into the tunnel entrance. She saw nothing but pitch black, yet heard the now familiar hissing of the krykna spiders. One last time, she turned back to Bendu.

“If anything happens to Malik-”

“I have no doubt the repercussions that would befall me,” Bendu interrupted with a grin.

Sighing in frustration, Serra collected her courage and stepped into the darkness.

*****

“What do you think, Lord Vader? You have been observing these potentials for the better part of a week. Would one of them fulfill our needs?”

“They are intriguing, my Master. She seems to be far more susceptible to the Dark Side… turning her would not be difficult. He, on the other hand, posses far greater potential, I believe.”

“Yes… if he could be turned, he may well be an excellent apprentice for you, Lord Vader. But in the end, we need one of them to rise above the other. Which one would suit our purposes best, I wonder?”

“Perhaps we should allow them to decide, Master.”

“You propose pitting them against each other?”

“No, that would be far too simplistic. Rather, they should each be given the same task to accomplish, one of great danger that will test their resolve to abandon the ways of the Jedi for good. In the course of such a test, surely the superior individual will be revealed.”

“Ah, a wise plan, my apprentice. While I have no doubt that she would accept these terms, he may be more difficult to persuade. Can you manage this?”

“I will not fail, Master. He will agree to the task… I will make certain of that.”

“Very well… I leave this assignment in your capable hands.”


	7. Chapter 7

Malik struggled as best as he could, but the reflexes of the krykna spiders were too great. Every move he made to try and escape was stymied by the pinching beak of a nearby spider. Deeper and deeper they carried him into their lair, yet all the while Malik pondered the strange specificity of Bendu’s previous wording. He had called this a puzzle, one that they had to solve without the use of violence.

Soon, they brought him to an expansive den, the cavernous size of which surprised Malik a bit. Before he could try and comprehend what was happening, the group of spiders released him, placing him back on his feet and backing away from him immediately. This turn of events gave Malik one more reason to stop and ponder the situation at hand. What was their intention for him? Surely they could devour him at any moment they wished, yet had now released him, feeling that he would not retaliate against them.

Malik saw that the group of spiders had moved to block the only exit to the den, making him rather nervous. Maybe they had something special planned for his demise? Still, all this seemed to fit into Bendu’s description of a puzzle. Seeing no other choice, Malik crept further into the den. Though the darkness was thick, Malik had long since trained his senses to allow him to effectively “see” in total darkness, using the Force to enhance his hearing and detect incoming threats.

Ahead of him, Malik could sense the presence of a large creature. There was no other way out that he could find apart from the way he had come, but he was not under attack yet. He pressed on, seeing a faint beam of moonlight shining in through a hole in the ceiling. At last, as he approached the illuminated area, he saw it: a massive krykna spider easily twice his size. Malik surmised that this had to be their queen. The creature saw him at once, but made no movements towards him. Likewise, the group of spiders had not budged from their guard station at the entrance.

As Malik moved closer to the queen, he could sense that something was not quite right. The creature did not appear to be that old, as some hive monarchs were. There were not the numerous battle scars from fending off challenges that an elderly queen would have had. Still, Malik could hear that the creature’s breathing was ragged and labored. He reached out with the Force, trying to find some way to connect with the poor being. The queen seemed to respond to this, tensing up at first, but then bending down low and relaxed, coming to eye level with Malik. As they finally connected through the Living Force, Malik began to realize the truth.

“You’re dying, aren’t you?”

*****

“Malik? Malik, can you hear me?”

Serra heard no reply. The spiders must have taken him deeper into the cave, and so her path was set. Quieting her mind as best as she could, Serra reached out to try and sense her husband’s presence. It was faint, but she could feel him in a distant part of the tunnel. Still, the cave branched out in several directions, leaving her stumped as to which was the path forward.

Taking a deep breath, she chose a path, shining her flashlight at the ground ahead of her. As she came upon a dead end, one of the spiders made its presence known with its feral hiss. Serra tensed up for a moment, but as she gazed upon the creature, she saw that he was quite tiny as compared to the others, only reaching as high as her knees. The rest were at least as tall as she and Malik. Serra surmised that this must be a juvenile. She at first did not want to turn her back to the creature, but soon began to notice something more. It was swiping and biting at the air with its arms and beak, yet these actions seemed to be based in fear and apprehension more than anything.

“Well, here goes…”

Attempting a technique she had never been strong with, Serra reached out to the spider with the Force, attempting to make some sort of mental contact. At first, the creature’s behavior did not change, but after a few moments, Serra locked eyes with the spider, and they seemed to come to an acceptance of each other’s existence.  It took a step or two forward, approaching the human with caution. She took a deep breath, deciding to go for broke.

“Where is the other human? I need to find him. Can you help me?”

The spider did not budge at first, but soon scurried between Serra’s legs and down another corridor. She followed right away, trusting the Force that this path would lead her to Malik. After what seemed like ages of twisting and turning, the path began to widen, seeming to lead towards a large cavern. Upon arriving, Serra tensed up at seeing the group of spiders that had carried Malik off. They turned, sensing her presence, and appeared ready to attack her. Before they could, a voice from around the bend up ahead sounded.

“No! Wait!” Malik stepped around the corner, locking eyes with the creatures. “She is a friend. She will not hurt you. I need her. Please, let her pass.”

To Serra’s surprise, the spiders parted, forming a path through which she could enter the cavern. After walking carefully through the mass of spiders, she rejoined her husband, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

“You ok?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He gestured around the bend. “Come on, there’s something you need to see.”

Serra gasped at seeing the massive queen ahead of them, and was further surprised at the casual manner in which Malik walked up to it. He ran his hand along one of the spider’s legs, seeming to calm the creature somewhat.

“This is my mate,” he said to the queen. “She’s going to help you; we both are.”

As the queen made a gesture of acknowledgement, Malik beckoned Serra to join him. She did so with great caution, yet was eased by Malik’s confidence throughout the situation; he seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

“Here, place your hand on her leg and reach out with the Force,” Malik instructed. “You need to see what I’ve seen.”

Serra reached out a trembling hand to touch the spider, calming herself through the Force. Soon, she began to see into the creature’s memories. She saw that the spiders were indeed carnivorous, but were forced to adapt to the barren planet, devoid of most sources of meat. Thus, the queen had developed a means of producing food from within her body, enough to feed her entire colony. This ensured the survival of their species for many years, but the tainting of their only water source recently jeopardized their way of life. Much of the colony died within hours of drinking the poisoned water, though the queen has managed to endure for several weeks. Still, as the poison remains in her body, she is unable to feed her children, causing the entire colony to slowly starve to death. When the queen dies, her children will be too week to be able to anoint a new queen as per usual, and the spiders would likely go extinct.

“You poor thing… you’ve suffered so much,” Serra cooed. “Malik, we have to help them.”

“My thoughts exactly. I can draw the toxins from her body, but I need you to keep her in a calming trance, as well as monitor her vital signs. If she dies, I doubt her children would treat us with much understanding.”

Serra swallowed hard, catching his meaning. Saving the queen was their only chance of walking out unscathed. Kneeling down on the rocky ground, Serra continued her meeting of the minds with the spider. They locked eyes for a moment, and she began to hum a soothing, wordless melody. As she continued, the queen’s breathing slowed, helping to stabilize her vital signs. This allowed Malik to begin his work.

The healer opened his mind and began to analyze every inch of the krykna spider’s anatomy. Sensing that the creature’s stomach was located at the top of its large, bulbous head, he began his explorations there. It was not long before he was able to detect the presence of a foreign substance in the stomach. Though it had spread to most other parts of the queen’s body, the concentration was such that eliminating the poison in the stomach would trigger a chain reaction that would cleanse and purify the rest of the queen’s internal organs.

“Please stay calm, my friend… this is going to feel very strange for you,” Malik whispered to the spider.

Malik focused and targeted the molecular structure of the foreign substance, determining that it had mixed somewhat with the spider’s blood. Rather than be discouraged by this revelation, he decided to use it to their advantage. Bit by bit, he was able to alter the foreign substance’s makeup to make it more and more like the spider’s blood. It took almost an hour of intense use of the Force, but Malik finally managed to eliminate enough of the toxin’s strength that the queen’s natural bodily fluids overtook it, purging the poison from her once and for all. With a heavy sigh, he backed away and gazed at his patient.

“How is she, Serra?”

“Doing very well,” she replied with a grin. “She’s growing stronger with every passing second. You’ll be ok now… you all will.”

Serra released the queen from her trance and joined her husband, waiting for some acknowledgement from the spider. The creature appeared dazed for a few moments, but soon regained awareness and focused her gaze on the two humans. Hearing a strange sound, the pair turned to see the rest of the colony gathering behind them, blocking their way. Serra was apprehensive at first, but the queen soon gave a commanding hiss, causing the colony to part for the humans.

*****

“Well done, my friends,” Bendu said as the couple exited the tunnel.

“Thanks to you,” Serra replied. “If you hadn’t taken away our lightsabers, we’d have missed the entire point of that journey.”

“My methods may seem strange, but they are never without purpose.”

“Bendu, what about the spiders’ water source? We can’t leave until we’ve cleaned it up,” Malik said.

“Fear not, for I have long since purified their watering hole. This was quite a simple task for me, but I was unable to help the queen at all. As you can see, I am far too large to enter their home, and she was too weak to even be carried out to see me. But I knew your arrival to be the will of the Force. A pair of Jedi in love and as in tune with the Force as you would surely be able to save those poor creatures. Now then, what did you learn in there, Serra?”

“I… connected with them. I’ve never been strong with the Living Force, always had trouble befriending animals, but in there… it was easier than it’s ever been before.”

“And why was that?” Bendu asked with a smile.

“Because… I love Malik. I’d do anything to save him, and in those moments, my difficulties with the Living Force hardly crossed my mind. It was what I had to do to reach my husband.”

“Yes… because you embraced love, believing it to be the will of the Force, you became a stronger Jedi than you ever would have otherwise. The stubborn teachings of the old Jedi Order would not have brought you to this level; only your love for Malik did this. Such as it is with the path of the Bendu. Now tell me, what do you know of the middle way?”

“Only a little,” Malik replied. “We’ve begun researching the Gray Jedi and their belief system. Much of it makes sense, but some parts seem to be at complete odds with the goal of peace and justice in the galaxy.”

“Such as?”

“There were several lines in the Gray Jedi creed that worried me,” Serra chimed in. “It talked about there being no good without evil. Is that to mean that evil can never be defeated?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Evil is not a tangible being; it is a state of mind. As long as there are hearts and minds susceptible to it, there will be evil. The only way to eradicate it would be to alter said hearts and minds.”

“Which would amount to the removal of free will, something we Jedi have fought against for millennia,” Malik finished.

“Indeed. As long as sentient beings have the power to choose their own path in life, some will choose good and some will choose evil. But in the interest of the middle way, this is still better than the alternative,” Bendu said.

“There was another part of the creed that caught my attention, about maintaining the balance between good and evil and being a soldier of balance. That doesn’t sit right with me, because it implies that a certain amount of evil must be done to ensure that the balance is maintained. Am I interpreting this correctly?” Malik asked.

“Hmm… I suppose some could interpret it in that way. However, I prefer to think of it as a statement of acceptance, rather than a goal. By the wording you just used, there is nothing to suggest that a Gray Jedi does _not_ align himself with good, but he does accept the fact that evil cannot be eradicated, only kept in check. Thus, as a soldier of balance, maintaining the balance would mean working to keep evil in check so that it does not overrun good,” Bendu replied.

“Does that explain why Gray Jedi draw upon the powers of the Dark Side without being consumed by it?” Serra wondered.

“Indeed. While the Jedi use the terms ‘Light Side’ and ‘Dark Side’ as synonymous with good and evil, the truth is far different. Devotion to the Ashla does not in itself make one good, and drawing on the Bogan does not make one evil. The Ashla and the Bogan are differing philosophies in the Force, whereas good and evil are dependent upon our actions and choices.”

“Like Malik using Force Lightning to save lives,” Serra replied, beaming at her husband.

“Precisely,” Bendu agreed. “As you journey forward in your lives together, I would advise you to focus not on the Jedi philosophy you are so familiar with, but on doing good and keeping evil at bay. Help people. Disrupt the Empire, if you can. You may find many situations in which the ends justify the means. Of course, sometimes the ends cannot justify the means. You must decide for yourselves if seemingly dark actions will serve the greater good. The answers may not always be clear, but trust in yourselves and each other. If you do this, my friends, there is no limit to the good you can do in this galaxy.”

With that, Bendu curled his body up and began to sink back into the sand. His boulder-like hide was now the only part of him that remained visible. Soon, all was quiet, and Malik and Serra were once again alone.

“Wow… lot to think about, huh?” Serra remarked.

“Yeah… I know what he means about the ends justifying the means. Still, I don’t think we should strive to edge too close to the Dark Side unless absolutely necessary. We’re better than that.”

“I agree. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a situation with a horrible ethical choice arises at some point. We need to be prepared for that eventuality. If we have to act decisively-”

“Then we will,” Malik said with conviction.

*****

The pair arrived back in the rocky clearing to find their ship undisturbed, all quiet in the area. As they approached, the main entrance ramp opened, and Rex stepped out towards them.

“Oh, it’s you!”

“Everything ok, Rex?” Malik asked.

“Oh sure… aside from the gigantic spiders that came by while you were gone!”

“What happened? Did they hurt you?” Serra asked with concern.

“Nah, I managed to get back inside and seal the ship up. Still, I had the weapons powered up and ready to go, but right when I thought they were gonna attack, they stopped, turned around and left altogether. I dunno… it’s like they were called off or something.”

“Huh… never can guess how wild animals will act,” Malik said with a knowing grin. “Anyway, I’m famished. How ‘bout some food?”

“Sounds good to me,” Rex agreed.

The trio made their way inside, and the Jedi were surprised to find the food already waiting for them at the table.

“What’s this?” Serra asked as they sat.

“Ah, it’s the least I can do after you saved my ass before,” Rex chuckled.

“Anytime, Rex,” Malik replied, digging into his rations.

“Oh, forgot to mention this. While you were gone, I managed to intercept a transmission, encrypted of course. I’ve been working to try and decode it, but haven’t had any luck. It’s got some security protocol I’ve never seen before.”

“Hmm… what sort of protocol?” Malik asked.

“I don’t really know how to describe it… where there would usually be a password input screen, there was just a bunch of floating triangles. They looked to be moving at random, but there might be some sort of pattern I haven’t noticed. What do you think?”

“No way… I’ve seen exactly what you’re describing!” Serra realized.

“Where?” Malik asked.

“That security protocol was developed by Anakin Skywalker himself. He designed it so that only a trained Force-user could access the files it protected. It was never widely used by the Jedi Order, but several individuals have used it, so it’s plausible that this transmission could be from a Jedi.”

“Think you can decode it?”

“Gimmie a crack at it!” Serra said with a grin.

Their meal now finished, the group made their way back to the cockpit and got to work on the transmission. Serra pulled it up on screen, discovering that it was just as she remembered Anakin’s security checks being. As she reached into the computer with the Force, the floating triangles began to become less random in their movements. She worked them for several minutes, until she had finally pieced them together into a rough image of the Jedi Temple. With that, the image disappeared and a holographic message began to power up.

“See? Nothin’ to it!” she said with pride.

“Nice!” Malik replied. “Ok, there’s a message in here. Let’s see…”

_“To any Jedi that receive this message, this is Topal Blut, Jedi Knight and the last survivor of the Jedi Temple guards. I am being hunted by… something. Please, if any are still alive, I need your help. The attack on our home was awful, but I know there are still some of my brothers and sisters alive. I am hiding in the deepest floors of the Jedi Temple. Hurry.”_

Malik rubbed his chin as the image of the Pau’an Jedi began to fade, pondering his message.

“Hmm… I’m having trouble thinking in here. Conference room,” he said.

The group adjourned to the meeting area down the hall from the cockpit, sitting around the circular table.

“Ok, will you play that message again?”

Serra activated the message once more, playing it in its entirety. As it ended, she stared at her husband for several long seconds.

“What are you thinking, Malik?”

“I’m not sure…”

“Malik, I know he’s your brother, but going back to Coruscant would be nothing short of suicide,” Rex stated. “We wouldn’t survive the landing, I’d wager.”

“But Rex, we can’t just leave him to die!” Serra protested. “In these dark times, we Jedi have to find a way to stick together.”

“I’ve lost enough friends in this war, I _don’t_ want to lose anyone else!” Rex fired back.

Serra’s brow furrowed in disgust. “I had no idea you were such a little-”

“That’s enough, Serra,” Malik cut her off. “Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to get us anywhere, and especially if we delve into name-calling.” He took a deep breath and continued, “I see your point, Rex. There’s no disguising the danger we’d be in if we do go back to Coruscant. But as Serra said, we Jedi have to stick together to survive the Empire. If Topal Blut is really in trouble, then we have a duty to render aid. Of course, there is a third possibility…”

“What do you mean?” Rex inquired.

“This message could be a trap in and of itself.”

“Huh? A trap?” Rex replied in confusion.

“Malik…”

“Serra, he’s going to find out sooner or later.” Malik turned back to Rex. “There is something most people don’t know about the Empire, Rex. You’ve heard of Emperor Palpatine’s new right-hand man, Darth Vader, yes?”

“I have. He’s supposed to be as deadly as any Jedi.”

“Well that’s because… he _was_ a Jedi.”

“What?! Who?!” Rex demanded.

Malik lowered his head, knowing the answer would break Rex’s heart.

“Anakin Skywalker.”

Rex sat open-mouthed for several long seconds, trying to comprehend the revelation. This was beyond anything he had ever thought possible.

“It can’t be…”

“We saw him, Rex. We saw him go on a rampage through the Jedi Temple. He led the 501st in slaughtering all our friends, even the younglings!”

“I don’t believe you! The Anakin Skywalker I served with would NEVER do such things! He was a HERO!!!”

“Exactly,” Serra whispered. “He _was_ a hero…”

Rex’s face twisted in pain as he began to come to terms with this revelation. He put his face in his hands, a tear streaming down his face. Never had he imagined anything worse than his friend and commanding officer being killed, and yet it had indeed come to that. Pulling himself together, he once again stared at the two Jedi.

“Why… why would you lie to me about this?”

“I’m so sorry, Rex,” Serra said. “Malik was about to tell you, but… I wanted to spare you the pain. It was foolish and shortsighted of me. Please forgive me.”

With a heavy sigh, Rex replied, “I don’t blame you. I suppose this is the true price of war…”

“It only happened that way because Palpatine engineered it,” Malik said. “He manipulated everyone from the beginning, even as far back as his days as a senator. This was his goal all along.”

“So… Malik could be right. With the security protocol being linked to Skywalker, this could all be a trap,” Rex surmised.

“Maybe…” Serra said with uncertainty.

“But it’s also possible it isn’t,” Malik replied. “Yes, this was one of Skywalker’s programs, but it was used by other Jedi as well. If Topal Blut really is in trouble, then we should try and help. We’ll just need to be prepared in the event it is a trap. I vote we go.”

“I agree,” said Serra.

“You two are nuts…” muttered Rex.

“Rex, I understand your apprehension. The offer still stands; if you want no part of this, we’ll drop you off anywhere, no questions asked.”

Rex snorted. “Are you kidding?! You two wouldn’t last ten seconds without me!”

The table erupted in laughter as the tension in the room began to subside, and Malik excused himself to the cockpit to plot their course to Coruscant.

“Rex, I’m sorry I almost called you a…”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Serra. I know you don’t think I’m a coward. I guess Order 66 has given me a new perspective on things, that’s all.”

“It has for us all,” she agreed. “We’ve just got to do the best we can.”

“And pray our best is good enough…”

*****

Malik returned to the conference room a short time later, having put the ship on autopilot. Finding the room empty, his eye was drawn to a small, handwritten note in front of his chair.

_Come to bed, dear._

“Only one thing that can mean,” he chuckled to himself.

He made his way back to their quarters, finding one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen in his life waiting for him. The lights were dimmed low and a recording of soft, soothing music played from the wall panel. In the center of their bed was Serra, naked as the day she was born and lying sideways for him, her head propped up in her hand.

“Close the door,” she whispered, and he complied without protest.

“Well, this is a bit of a surprise, not that I’m complaining. Anything in particular bring this on?” he asked.

Serra blushed a bit. “Um… I always get hot for you when you enter healer mode. It’s your true self. It drives me crazy… in all the best ways. Seeing you help that poor creature earlier, it’s a wonder I didn’t jump you right then and there.”

“Huh, who knew?” Malik mused, hanging his jacket up.

“You’re incredible when you take charge like that. Nothing fazes you, not even the most serious injuries.”

“Can’t afford to let anything faze me,” he said as he stripped out of his shirt. “I hold an innocent life in my hands. That’s an enormous responsibility.”

“Know another enormous responsibility of yours?”

“What’s that?”

“Satisfying your wife’s insatiable sexual appetite,” she replied with a wicked grin.

Now nude, Malik crawled onto the bed, kneeling over his wife.

“Well, if she is in fact insatiable, I don’t know that I could ever complete that responsibility,” he shot back.

“Only one way to find out.”

With that, Serra grabbed Malik’s shoulders and pulled him on top of her. They kissed passionately in a tight embrace for what felt like years. Serra seemed to be particularly feisty tonight; on more than one occasion, she held Malik’s lower lip in her teeth to keep him from pulling back. After trying to slow things down unsuccessfully, Malik resigned himself to Serra’s whims. Soon, Serra grew tired of being pinned by her husband, much as she loved it, and flipped him onto his back so that she could straddle him. As they resumed their lip-lock, she got a decidedly naughty lock in her eye.

“Be right back,” she whispered.

“Um, where are you OH!”

As Serra dove under the covers, she took Malik by complete surprise in her next actions. Though she was hidden, he could feel exactly what she was doing; the sensation of something flicking his cock was unmistakable. She was licking him. Before he could even think of protesting, another new sensation cropped up: pressure. Not unpleasant pressure, of course, but the suction now engulfing his member was driving him crazy. Up and down she worked his length, coating him in her saliva as he moaned in satisfaction. His reactions only seemed to embolden her further, as she redoubled her efforts, giggling every so often at the effect she was having on her husband. Soon, he could stand it no more: he had to see what she was doing to him. Malik threw back the sheets, revealing the lustful face of his wife with her lips around his cock.

“Enjoying yourself?” she asked, releasing him for a moment.

“I’m pretty sure… you know the answer to that,” he sputtered.

A few more seconds of sucking, and Serra could tell that Malik was nearing completion. She propped herself up on her elbows, positioning her incredible tits in front of his cock, and began to stroke him with her hand.

“I know how much you love my breasts, Malik,” she purred. “Know what I think you should do? You should cum on them. Come on, give me your cum… I need it… all of it…”

Malik could hardly believe the words coming out of his wife’s mouth; it was like she was possessed. Still, she had absolute control over him in those moments, and she knew it all too well. He couldn’t have resisted her request if he had wanted to. Faster and faster she stroked him, and the familiar sensation began to well up in the pit of his stomach. Malik gripped the sheets in an attempt to prolong his climax for as long as he could, but he was soon erupting into orgasm, spraying his seed onto Serra’s breasts. She grinned as she continued to pump him, milking every last drop from his shaft. After pausing for a few moments to allow him to take in the visual of her glistening tits, she rolled out of bed and fetched a damp cloth from the bathroom to clean herself with.

“Where… did you learn… _that_?” Malik heaved as she rejoined him in bed.

“Well…” she began, laying her head on his shoulder. “A couple of years back, Master Drallig and I were on assignment in the darker areas of Coruscant’s underworld. We met some seedy individuals on that job, including some of the working women, if you catch my meaning.”

“I do,” he replied with a nod.

“They’re such nice girls in reality. Most were brought into the business through slavery, and now choose to keep doing it because it’s the only life they know. It’s pretty sad… but anyway. I overheard a few of them talking about their various ‘strengths’ on the job, and that action kept cropping up. They called it, as I remember, a blowjob.”

“Huh… and you felt you had to try it for yourself?”

“Yup. And who better to try it with than my wonderful husband?” she giggled, kissing him on the cheek.

“So, with these working women, would the men that shared their beds ever… return the favor?”

Serra flashed him a knowing grin. “Sometimes. Why?”

“Well, I… couldn’t help but notice how one-sided that romp was, enjoyable as it was for me. But I do love taking care of my wife. Would it be ok if I-”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Serra rolled over on her back, spreading her legs for Malik. He began his explorations at her tantalizing breasts, kissing them and stimulating her nipples, much to her excitement. After playing with both for several minutes, he began to kiss his way down her chest and taught belly, soon arriving at her pelvic region. First teasing her with several light kisses to her inner thighs, Serra mewed in pleasure from his touch.

“Oh Malik… you’re the best…”

“You say that _now_ … just wait ‘til you see what else I’m up to.”

Turning his attention to her glistening womanhood, Malik ran his fingertips around her swollen outer lips. Her arousal was obvious, not only by the aroma wafting from her slit, but also by her constant moaning and squirming. Malik hooked his arms under her legs to hold her hips still, took a deep breath, and moved his face forward. His first few licks were tentative as he tried to get a feel for what Serra’s responses would be, but his worries about making it good for her disappeared as her groans of desire grew louder. He also found that he liked the way his wife tasted; she was sweet, but with a hint of tanginess.

Malik redoubled his efforts, burying his face in his wife and lapping at her clit furiously; it was all he knew to do at this point. He figured there’d be plenty of chances to expand his technique in the near future, so his sole focus tonight was on bringing Serra to orgasm. Harder and harder her hips bucked as he continued his oral assault, his every move driving Serra closer to a massive explosion. She knew she was almost there, and knew it would take only a bit more to intensify the sensations.

“Malik… suck on my clit…” she breathed.

He complied without protest, taking her clit in his mouth and sucking at it gently. Serra gasped at the new sensations, surmising that this must have been what it felt like when she had sucked Malik’s cock. That revelation did not remain in her mind for long, though, as her husband’s lips and tongue had pushed her past the point of no return. She surrendered herself to her passions, grabbed hold of the sheets, and screamed as her pussy began to contract and coat the bed with her juices. After about a minute of writhing and thrashing, her breathing finally started returning to normal.

“I love you… Malik…” Serra mumbled as she drifted off into unconsciousness.

“Love you too,” he replied with a grin.

Malik crawled up and kissed Serra on the cheek. Hearing her already fast asleep, he smiled and pulled the covers over them, spooning against Serra’s naked body. Before long, he had passed out as well.

*****

_“We’ve entered the outskirts of the Coruscant system. I’m keeping us cloaked at a distance until you’re ready, so take your time. Rex out.”_

“Unh… huh? Damn, that’s a rude way to wake up…” Serra muttered, rolling back over to sleep a bit more.

“He’s just doing his job; he’s a soldier, after all.”

Tempted as Malik was to push his cock into his wife’s pussy, he decided to let her rest a bit more, rolling out of bed to take a shower. The steam and hot water were exactly what he needed to finish waking up, and he soon heard the bathroom door slide open.

“That you, Serra?”

“Yeah… the bed’s so cold and lonely without you,” she whimpered.

“Well, it’s nice and hot in the shower… and I happen to be in it,” he replied, smirking over his shoulder.

“Excellent point.”

After joining her husband under the water, Serra spent several long minutes washing every inch of Malik’s body, paying special attention to his nether regions. He returned the favor, of course, and they soon digressed into a long, passionate make-out session. After bring each other to another orgasm, both felt they were sufficiently clean, stepping back into their quarters and dressing for the day. Malik grabbed a couple of protein bars for them before making their way to the cockpit.

“Morning, Rex.”

“Morning you two. Slept well, I trust?” he asked, a gleam in his eye.

“Um… yes?” Serra replied in confusion.

“I should hope so. Seems like something really got you going last night.”

“Oh… that. I’m sorry, Rex. I guess I didn’t realize how loud I was being,” Serra replied, her cheeks turning crimson.

“Don’t worry about it,” he chuckled. “To be honest, it’s kind of a nice reminder.”

“Reminder of what?” Malik asked.

“That we’re all still human.”

With that, Rex moved from the pilot’s chair, making room for Serra and Malik to take the controls. As Malik scanned for nearby ships, Serra pulled up a map of Coruscant.

“Ok, here’s the Jedi Temple. I doubt we’ll be able to land anywhere near it, as well-guarded as I imagine it is,” she said.

“Agreed. We’ll have to set down somewhere else before making our way over,” said Rex. “Isn’t there an abandoned junkyard not too far from there?”

“There is,” Malik chimed in. “It’s right on the edge of the industrial sector, if I’m remembering it right.”

“Ok, so we land in the junkyard and find a place to hide the ship, then make our way on foot to the Jedi Temple,” Serra said, tracing a path on the holographic map with her finger. “The main entrance would be too risky; we’d be exposed the whole time.  But if we can get to the secret hangar Master Windu showed us…”

“That should be a far easier entry point,” Malik agreed. “And it’d put us on the basement floors, where Topal Blut is supposed to be hiding.”

“Sneak in, find the Jedi, sneak back out the way we came… is it all that simple?” Rex asked.

“Few things ever are,” Malik chuckled.

“I’m serious, Malik. This is a risky operation. We’ve got to do this quietly; if we’re discovered, it’s our heads.”

“Just stick close by us, Rex. We’ll keep us undetected,” Serra reassured him.

Rex sighed. “You Jedi… you’re something else.”

“You wouldn’t have it any other way,” Serra replied with a wink.

The trio sweated with anticipation as their cloaked ship broke the atmosphere of Coruscant. Within a few minutes, Serra had located the junkyard, landing the _Middle Way_ amongst a heap of spare parts.

“Let’s do this, boys,” Serra said. “We’re on the clock.”


	8. Chapter 8

“There’s the hangar,” Malik said, peering through his electrobinoculars. “A couple of patrols, nothing too bad. The entrance is still sealed up, so I bet they think nobody can get in that way.”

“Now we just gotta figure out how to get in unnoticed,” Serra muttered.

“Sir, I’m back!” Rex said, walking up behind them.

“What did you find, Rex?”

“Nearby sewer line leading directly from the Jedi Temple. We should be able to get into the hangar that way.”

“Perfect. Lead on.”

The Jedi followed Rex as he turned down a back alleyway, spying a grating on the ground ahead of them. Malik and Rex lifted it open for Serra, slipping into the sewer and closing the grating behind them. The stench was foul, but the tunnel was just large enough that they could hunch over and walk, rather than having to crawl through the muck. After a few minutes, Serra found another grating in the ceiling, pushing it up a bit to peek into the room.

“All clear,” she said, popping up onto the floor of the hangar.

Rex and Malik soon joined her, finding the hangar deserted and undisturbed from their last visit.

“Huh… that’s odd,” Malik said. “We were under attack when we escaped from here, but it looks like they haven’t so much as touched this place since that day. I wonder why?”

“Don’t know, but I think we need to focus on Blut,” Rex replied. “As Serra said, we’re on the clock. The longer we stand around, the more likely we are to get caught.”

“Agreed,” Malik said. “Let me think… if I were Blut, where would I hide?”

“I’d say in a location easy to fortify for long periods of time, somewhere with immense security even in the days of the Order,” Serra mused.

“Hmm… by that logic, I think I know where he is: the holocron vault.”

“Of course! With the right defenses, it could take the Empire weeks, even months to penetrate it!” Serra agreed.

“Where is it?” Rex asked.

“In the center of the basement floor, under the main spire. This way,” Malik said, marching down a nearby hallway.

The trio crept through the Temple as quietly as they could, checking for Imperials around every corner, yet they encountered none. For all the fears they harbored of being captured, the entire structure seemed abandoned. Before long, they reached the end of a hallway, a large circular door standing ahead of them.

“Here we are,” Malik said.

“Now how do we get in? Only the Jedi Council has access,” Serra reminded him.

“Hmm… I’ve got an idea. Rex, keep a lookout for trouble.”

“Got it.”

“Ok, see how much you can do with the Force access, Serra.”

Serra stretched out her hand and concentrated, attempting in vain to gain access to the vault. As she struggled, Malik did not seem worried. She intensified her focus, and Malik stepped forward to try the next part of his plan. Drawing on the power of lightning, he released a small amount of electricity from his hand into the main security panel, overriding the circuits that prevented Serra from gaining access. After a few seconds of this action, the panel turned green, and the vault door began to open with a hiss.

“Nice!” Serra remarked.

“I doubt Yoda would mind; he _did_ proclaim us Jedi Masters, after all.”

“HAH!”

The sound of a lightsaber powering up startled the pair, and Malik drew his weapon on instinct. Within moments, he found his blue blade clashing with a bright gold one, the owner a Pau’an male that Malik recognized right away.

“Topal! Topal, it’s me! Malik!”

“Huh? M… Malik Ran?” the Temple Guard asked, backing away and into the vault. “I… I’m so sorry. I thought you were…”

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it. Serra and I got your message.”

“Oh, I’m so relieved,” Blut sighed, collapsing to the floor of the vault.

“Topal, your message mentioned that you were being hunted. Who was hunting you?” Serra asked, stepping into the vault with Malik.

“Hmm? Oh yes, that… I do not know who was hunting me, but I believe I have managed to elude them. Tell me, are there more Jedi survivors, or is it just the two of you?”

“Only us that we’ve found,” Malik answered, deciding to keep Yoda’s location a secret for the time being.

“Ah… well then, I suppose there is no reason to delay,” Blut said.

“What?” Malik asked in confusion.

Before either Malik or Serra could react, the vault door was flung shut by the Force, latching itself into place. They were trapped.

“All too easy,” came a female voice.

Serra spun around, exclaiming, “Barriss Offee?!”

“You remember me… what an honor,” she replied.

“How could we forget a terrorist like you,” Serra seethed. “Detonating a bomb in the Temple, framing Ahsoka Tano for the crime… you disgust me.”

“Good to see you too, Serra,” she smirked. “Blut, seeing as our plan has worked to perfection thus far, shall we?”

“It would be my greatest pleasure.”

Simultaneously, they drew their weapons, Offee a pair of curved-hilt crimson lightsabers, Blut a gold saberstaff, the traditional weapon of the Temple Guards.

“Your fall… will be my rise,” Blut hissed as he approached Malik.

Malik activated his weapon to block, soon finding himself locked blade-to-blade with Topal Blut. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Serra engaged in a furious bout with Barriss Offee, her twin green lightsabers whirling in every direction to defend. Malik still couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

“Topal… why?”

*****

_Two days earlier_

Barriss Offee sat alone in her prison cell, pondering her solitude. It mattered not that the Jedi Order had fallen, as she had heard from the guards; she was still branded a terrorist. She would remain imprisoned for the rest of her life. Some nights, she wished they would simply execute her instead. Still, she regretted nothing she had done. The Jedi had become the evil they swore to defeat, and had to be stopped… by any means necessary. As she sat in meditation, she was startled back to reality by the door to the cellblock opening. She heard footsteps approaching, slow yet powerful, as well as a terrifying breathing sound.

“Barriss Offee…”

Offee sat in awe at the figure before her. Well over two meters tall and clad in fearsome black armor, she could only guess at whom she was now speaking to. The guards had talked of him, but the real thing was far more intimidating than any of their descriptions.

“Are you… Darth Vader?”

“I am indeed.”

“Wha… What do you want?”

“To offer you… an escape.”

“Escape? You’re saying I could be released?” she asked eagerly.

“It is possible, if you fulfill certain conditions.”

“Of course! What must I do?”

“The Emperor has seen the tremendous potential within you. A powerful Jedi you once were, and powerful you can be again. You were among the first to see the corruption inherent within the Jedi Council, and you were the first to do something about it. Those actions tell me all I need to know. If you will serve me, if you will learn the ways of the Dark Side of the Force, then I will raise you up to such power. In time, you may become… my apprentice.”

“Dark Side? No, I don’t use the Dark Side!” she protested.

“Are you quite sure? Shall I remind you of what you did to Letta Turmond?”

Before Offee could respond, she began to feel her throat contracting around her and her airway being blocked. She was being choked… with the Force.

“ _This_ is what you did to Letta Turmond to prevent her from identifying you as the bomber. You showed no mercy, the ends justified the means. As she stood in the very spot you now occupy, you ended her life… and in doing so, became stronger than you ever had before.”

Vader at last released Offee, and she collapsed to her hands and knees, gasping for air as she reoriented herself.

“Do you still claim you do not use the Dark Side?” Vader asked her.

“No,” she admitted with resignation. She looked up into Vader’s helmet, unable to detect any emotion from him whatsoever. “If I serve you… you will teach me? You will help me become more powerful than ever before?”

“If you will but follow my every command, yes.”

“Then I am yours, Master. What must I do?”

“The Jedi have been wounded, but a few individuals still persist. As long as they live, the future security of our galaxy will be threatened, just as it was when Master Windu attempted to overthrow the government. Thus, the Empire requires a team of individuals devoted to hunting down the remaining Jedi. You may possess the skills and determination to lead such a team.”

“I would love nothing more,” Offee replied.

“Good. You must begin by recruiting another member. We have identified a Jedi with enough self-doubt that he could be swayed to the Dark Side. Though he still clings to his training, he is vulnerable. If any could persuade him to join us, it would be you.”

“Me? Why me? Why not you, the Lord of the Sith? Surely you would have greater odds of success.”

“Because this Jedi is one you are acquainted with: Topal Blut, the last survivor of the Jedi Temple Guards. He was the one who escorted you to your hearing that fateful day in the Senate, during which you exposed the Jedi for what they had become. Blut heard every word you said, and he now doubts that he was ever on the right side with the news of Master Windu’s betrayal.”

“And seeing me again would remind him that he is not alone in those feelings,” Offee realized.

“Precisely. You possess a manner of control over him that no other could ever have. Your ideals have already begun his transformation through the Dark Side of the Force.” Vader deactivated the ray shields of the cell, continuing, “Go now. He hides in the Jedi Temple. Convince him to join us, and if he will not… do what must be done.”

“But I am without a weapon, Master.”

“Ah yes… I believe you are familiar with _these_.”

Vader reached behind him and took a pair of objects from behind his cape, handing them to Offee.

“No way… the lightsabers of Asajj Ventress? I thought they were gone for good.”

“They were confiscated upon your arrest. With your pledge to serve the Emperor, he has seen fit to return them to you.”

Offee held the black weapons in her hands; how right they felt to her. She had never felt more powerful than when she had dueled that arrogant punk Anakin Skywalker. She had given him all he could handle, and it was only due to his stupid mechanical hand that he had bested her. She hoped in her heart that he was still alive… so that she could end him herself.

*****

Topal Blut sat in silence, his hideout secured as best as it could have been. He debated the events of the last several weeks without end, trying to make some sense of it all. Master Windu’s assassination attempt, the Clone Army turning on the Jedi, the formation of the Empire… could it be that the Jedi were in the wrong from the very beginning? As he pondered, he attempted to gain some solace from the Jedi Code.

“There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is… the Force.”

Try as he might, his inner turmoil would not subside. How could the Council have been so blind? How could they have allowed themselves to commit such acts of violence? Were they so afraid for their power that assassinating Chancellor Palpatine was their only course of action? None of it made any sense. He sighed in frustration, feeling the sensation of hunger coming on.

“I suppose I should venture out and try to find some food,” he muttered.

As he stepped into the quiet hallways of the Jedi Temple, Blut couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched… or perhaps hunted. He sensed danger everywhere, and yet nowhere at the same time. What could this mean? Was the Force failing him? Was the Dark Side clouding his judgment? Trying his best to push his doubts from his mind, Blut pressed onward in search of some food. Rounding another corner, he could have sworn he heard the faint sound of a female voice, giggling mischievously.

“Who is there?! Show yourself!” the Pau’an demanded, keeping his saberstaff close at hand.

“Ooh, such a brave face… but there is much fear in you, Topal Blut,” the voice said with another giggle.

“Identify yourself.”

“But of course.”

From out of the shadows came a slender figure wearing a black cloak and hood.

“Topal Blut… it’s good to see you again,” said the individual as the hood lowered.

“What? Barriss Offee? But… you were imprisoned for treason!”

“I’ve been paroled, as it were.”

“Paroled? By whom?” Blut asked, not letting his guard down for an instant.

“By Emperor Paplatine himself. In light of recent events, he has gained greater insight into the context of my actions. That is actually why I have been sent to find you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Offee walked slowly towards him, remaining as calm and nonthreatening as she could appear to be.

“Topal, you were there in the Senate when I was arrested and branded a traitor. Do you remember what I said that day?”

“I… I could never forget,” he admitted. “That the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war. That we’ve so lost our way that we’ve become the villains in this conflict. That we are the ones that should be put on trial – all of us. And my attack on the temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become, an army fighting for the Dark Side, fallen from the light we held so dear. This Republic is failing… it’s only a matter of time.”

“Indeed. You remember well,” Offee marveled. “Tell me, what did I say that day that has not come to pass in the time since?”

“Nothing…”

“Exactly. The Jedi _were_ the villains in the Clone War, and they knew it. They were so fearful of the people and the Senate turning against them that they felt they had no other choice than to assassinate the leader of the Republic. Master Windu, as great a Jedi as he may once have been, is guilty of greater treason than I could ever be capable of. This made the Emperor realize that I was right all along. Topal… he has seen great things in your future. He knows that you know the truth, even if you are afraid to admit it. Our loyalty is to the Republic, now the Empire. This loyalty must be above all else, even the Jedi Order. That is why… he wants you to join us.”

“And do what exactly?” Blut asked, still skeptical.

“To learn the ways of the Dark Side. To become stronger than ever before.”

“The Dark Side?! You’re mad!” he replied, igniting his weapon.

“Think about it, Topal. The Jedi were so obsessed with the Light Side, yet this obsession allowed the evils of war to befall the Republic. On Geonosis, it was all the Jedi could do to save their surviving comrades. They had neither the strength nor the determination to catch Count Dooku then and there and prevent the war from ever starting. If they had only focused a bit more on becoming stronger during times of peace, the Clone War would never have taken place.”

“I suppose… and if the attack on the Chancellor was any indication, it may well be that such an action was their plan all along. The Jedi Council has long held the opinion that they are so in tune with the Force that their judgments should be final and all-encompassing,” Topal mused.

“You see, Topal? You know the truth as well as I. Blind devotion to the Light Side is what corrupted the Jedi Order. Only by drawing on the Dark Side could they have become strong enough to save all those countless lives lost to the ravages of war. They were so convinced that death is a natural part of life that they became desensitized to the death and destruction happening around them. Death may be a natural part of life, but if it can be prevented, it _must_ be prevented! By any means necessary!”

“Still… you know what you are asking me to do. You know that following you requires I turn my back on all that I have devoted my life to,” Blut whispered.

“Yes. But with the recent actions of the Council, given everything that has happened over the last four years, would you rather go down in history as just another Jedi, or as a man of courage who fought for justice regardless of which side was right? Please Topal. We need you. This is your chance at redemption from the stain on history left by the Jedi.”

Topal Blut gazed at Barriss Offee’s outstretched hand, pondering without end which way was best. He still believed in the Light Side of the Force, but if it had corrupted the Council, what would prevent it from corrupting him? Besides, there was nothing that said drawing on the Dark Side automatically makes one evil. Surely such strength would grant him the ability to do more good than he had ever done as a Jedi, wouldn’t it? With a slight grin, he deactivated his saberstaff and shook the delicate, feminine hand in front of him.

“Very well, Barriss Offee. I will join you.”

“Excellent. You’ve made a wise decision, Topal Blut. As the Empire grows stronger, so we will grow stronger beside it.”

“I hope you are right. What must we do first?”

“I’ve been given an assignment from Lord Vader, the Emperor’s right-hand man. He believes there are still Jedi out there that escaped Order 66. We are going to set a trap for them.”

“What sort of trap?” Blut asked.

“When the clones first attacked the Jedi Temple, they implanted a message in the beacon instructing all Jedi to disarm and return here. But Kenobi erased that message, and now the beacon warns all Jedi to stay away from the Temple. No Jedi in their right mind would come here… unless they believed they had to save a friend.”

“Hmm… and I assume that I am to be that friend in need of saving, as none would risk their lives to help you.”

“Exactly. We send a distress signal so heavily encrypted that only a Jedi could decipher it, asking them to come here to help you. When that happens…”

“They will not know it is a trap until it is far too late. Brilliant,” Blut agreed. Pulling out his comlink, he began to record the message. “To any Jedi that receive this message, this is Topal Blut…”

*****

“Topal… why?”

Malik struggled against the strength of the Temple Guard, only just managing to hold his own.

“Why? Because of what the Jedi have become,” Blut replied. “Attempting to assassinate the Chancellor, prolonging the war, these things are unforgivable! If THAT is what the Jedi Order stands for, I will NEVER AGAIN call myself a Jedi!”

Malik disengaged with a backflip, giving himself a moment’s breathing room. Blut began to close the distance between them once more, twirling his saberstaff in front of him for protection. Malik raised his weapon, but inched back as Blut approached.

“Shit… his saberstaff could overpower me if I give him the slightest opening,” Malik muttered to himself.

Right on cue, Blut executed a series of heavy strikes, forcing Malik to rely on his signature defensive style to stay alive. But Blut was relentless, giving Malik no opportunity to counterattack. Again and again he struck at Malik, each swing of his weapon attempting to end the Jedi’s life.

On the other side of the vault, Serra and Offee continued their frantic duel, their swords a blur of whirling light. Both remained on the offensive with their Jar’Kai forms of lightsaber combat, though Serra kept running into trouble. Every time she thought she had an opening, Offee would redirect her momentum with little effort. After three instances of this, Serra’s frustration began to grow.

“Dammit! How does she keep doing that?!” she sputtered.

“It’s what happens when you combine Jar’Kai with Makashi,” Offee replied with a sinister laugh. “I’ve graduated beyond the weak Soresu that Master Luminara taught me.”

_Shit… I won’t beat her with my usual tactics; that plays right into her hand._

As she was about to lunge in with a new style of attack, she caught sight of Malik out of the corner of her eye. He was still locked in a furious struggle with Topal Blut, but the Pau’an was slowly gaining the upper hand. Turning her attention back to Offee, Serra parried an incoming attack before flipping around to her backside, Force-pushing the traitor to the ground.

“Malik! Hang on!” Serra shouted, rushing to her husband’s aid.

Hearing her approach, Malik engaged Blut in a saber-lock, hoping to tie him up long enough for Serra to strike the killing blow. But as Serra leapt into the fray, Blut managed to break off and assume a defensive stance, prepared for their onslaught. The two Jedi gave him their best offensive techniques, but his mastery of the saberstaff gave him an almost impenetrable defense.

“Now we’ve got you!”

Hearing a shout from the other side of the room, Serra spun around and barely managed to block the incoming attack of Barriss Offee. She stood back-to-back with her husband; both knew they were in deep trouble now. The two traitors had them surrounded and outnumbered four blades to three. It would only be a matter of time before they were slain. Thinking fast, Malik managed to come up with one idea that might help them.

“Serra, keep me covered for a sec!”

“Got it!”

Shifting their position so that they remained back-to-back with both opponents on either side of them, Serra executed the twin-wheel technique, whirling both of her green lightsabers in a rapid circle on either side of her. This provided protection for both her and Malik, at least for a few moments. Blut foolishly tried to stab his way through, but his attempt was slapped away with little effort from Serra. Now with an opening, Malik focused on the vault door, and especially on the control panel. With a brilliant flash of light, he fired a burst of lightning from his hand into the panel, overriding the lock and causing the door to crack open.

“Nice work!” Serra marveled.

“Won’t do you any good, you’re still outnumbered!” Offee replied.

“That’s what you think,” Malik said with a smirk.

“Malik! Serra!”

The four warriors turned at the sound of a new voice, seeing a Clone Trooper now in the doorway of the vault.

“Rex, these two set a trap for us!” Malik said.

“Understood!”

Rex drew his twin DC-17 blaster pistols and opened fire on the two assailants. Offee and Blut defended with ease, but were taken by such surprise at the intrusion that they could not deflect the blaster bolts back at Rex.

“Topal, I think it’s time, don’t you?” Offee asked.

“Indeed it is.”

With a break in Rex’s fire, Offee reached into her cloak, withdrew a small remote, and pressed the button. At first, nothing appeared to be happening, but soon an ominous rumbling began to shake the floor.

“What’s happening?” Serra asked.

“Oh shit,” Malik muttered, looking up. Hearing the sound of faint booms and seeing cracks form in the ceiling of the vault, he suddenly realized the truth. “They’ve set explosives around the Temple; it’s gonna collapse on top of us!”

“We’ve gotta get out!” Rex ordered.

“Wait, these holocrons! Grab what you can, Malik!” Serra shouted.

The two Jedi telekinetically grabbed a couple of holocrons each before sprinting for the vault door.

“Which way?!” Serra asked in a panic.

“Back the way we came. This way,” Rex replied, leading the way.

The trio bounded through the hallways of the Jedi Temple, the walls beginning to crack and crumble around them. All the while, Offee and Blut gave chase, determined not to let their prey escape. Soon, they emerged back into the hangar to find the main doors still sealed shut.

“Shit… Rex, we need a cover to our escape, or they’ll keep following us,” Malik realized.

“Way ahead of you.”

Rex arrived at the grating to the sewer first and began to fiddle with something on his utility belt. Once Serra and Malik had caught up, he withdrew two small pellets from one of the pouches.

“Hold your breath,” he whispered.

Before Offee and Blut could reach them, Rex threw the pellets to the ground, creating a thick cloud of smoke. This not only concealed their escape, but also served to stun their pursuers, causing them to cough and wheeze from smoke inhalation. By the time the cloud had dispersed, the trio had slipped back into the sewers and closed the grating behind them.

“Nice thinking, Rex,” Serra said as they made their way through the tunnel.

“There are two rules when facing a superior opponent. First, never let ‘em see you bleed,” Rex said with a chuckle.

“And the second?” Malik asked.

“Always have an escape plan.”

A short time later, the group had arrived at the grating nearest their ship. Malik went first, slipping out of the hole in the ground before helping Rex and Serra to their feet. But as they turned to make their way to their ship, they were greeted by a group of ten clones, each with weapons trained on them. The group had managed to pin the trio against the back wall of the alleyway. They were trapped, and had no room to maneuver for escape or defense.

“Shit…” Rex muttered.

“Come now, did you really think it would be _that_ easy?” Barriss Offee said with a laugh, emerging from behind the group of soldiers.

“For a second? Yeah, I did,” Malik replied with a smartass grin.

Topal Blut soon joined her with his with weapon drawn. “Malik Ran, Serra Keto, CT-7567, you are each guilty of high treason against the Empire. You are hereby sentenced to be summarily executed. On your knees.”

“No,” Serra said with defiance. “You want to kill us? You do it with us staring you in the face. You will look into the eyes of your former friends as you do so.”

Blut showed no emotion as he ignited his saberstaff. “So be it.”

As he took a step towards his victims, a brilliant flash of red flew in from above and interrupted the proceedings. Before any could react, half the troop of clones had been decapitated. The remaining soldiers looked up, trying to see who was attacking them, but were soon taken out by a volley of precision blaster shots. Now devoid of their backup, Offee and Blut looked up to find two individuals watching them from the roof of the alleyway buildings.

The pair soon leapt down to ground level, landing between the opposing parties to face the would-be Sith. Offee was about to charge in, but Blut placed a hand on her shoulder, reminding her to be prudent. He now saw the two interlopers more clearly. One was a human male, perhaps in his late twenties, and the other was an adult female Twi’lek with bright green skin. Both were clad in inconspicuous street clothes consisting of leather jackets and cargo pants. Though he was not familiar with Twi’lek, he was almost certain of the human’s identity. His hair was pitch black, rather than the dark brown it had been before, but the face was unmistakable.

“Jax Pavan… it seems you still live,” Blut said at last.

“Topal. Barriss. You two just can’t help but join the wrong side, can you?” came his curt reply.

“On the contrary, we’re joining the _winning_ side. We will be on the right side of history, I promise you that,” Offee seethed.

“We’ll see about that,” the Twi’lek said, drawing a pair of DL-44 blasters.

“Get the hell out of here,” Jax agreed, drawing his red lightsaber. “You’re outnumbered now, and you know it.” By this time, Serra, Malik, and Rex had drawn their own weapons as well.

“Fuck off… I’m not running away from you traitors,” Offee replied.

“Suit yourself, but I think it to be the wise move,” Blut whispered.

“What?! You coward!”

“We are outmatched in every way, and would not survive this confrontation, even under the best of circumstances. Of what use could we be to the Emperor if we are dead?”

“But the mission!” Offee protested.

“There will be other opportunities for us. Even in the Dark Side, patience can be a most important virtue,” Blut assured her.

Offee sighed in frustration. “Fine. But if someone’s head rolls for this, it’ll be yours, Blut.”

The pair gave one last dirty look to their targets before dashing out of the alleyway for some unknown destination. Alone at last, Malik relaxed and turned his attention to their saviors.

“Whew… good timing, Jax. Great to see you’re still alive.”

“You too my friend,” Jax replied, shaking Malik’s hand. “Serra, always a pleasure.”

“It’s been far too long, Jax,” she said, giving him a hug.

“Ahem.”

“Oh, right,” Jax muttered, hearing his companion voice her presence. “This is my most trusted friend. Meet Laranth Tarek.”

“A pleasure,” Malik said, shaking her hand.

“Likewise.”

“Um, I hate to break up the warm reunion, but we still aren’t safe here. We’d better head back to our ship,” Rex chimed in.

“Unwise,” Jax said. “I guarantee Offee and Blut will have you tracked. Until we know for sure we’ve lost them, better keep the location of your ship a secret. Come on, we’ve got a place to hide out.”

*****

“You will explain what happened,” Vader said with a stern, even voice. “The trap was laid, you had them right where you wanted them, yet they still managed to escape. How did this happen?”

“Extenuating circumstances,” Offee replied. “The male Jedi, Malik Ran… he used Force Lightning to pry open the vault door so they could escape. There is no way we could have predicted that.”

“In addition, they had backup. They have apparently been joined by a rouge clone, CT-7567,” Blut agreed.

“Captain Rex? He has sided with the Jedi? How is this possible?” Vader wondered, stunned by the revelation.

“We don’t know, but rest assured that we _will_ find out, Lord Vader,” Offee said.

“Hmm… and they managed to elude the collapse of the Jedi Temple as well?”

“Yes, they used the sewer system as an escape route. Still, we caught up with them just as they exited.”

“Indeed… you had them pinned, helpless, ready to be executed. Yet they still live,” Vader replied, his anger rising.

“We were ambushed!” Offee protested.

“A human and a Twi’lek interfered,” Blut explained. “They took us by surprise and killed all our backup troops. By then, the odds had shifted, and we were outnumbered five to two. Offee wished to fight them, but I do not believe we would have had any means to survive such a confrontation. We had no choice at that point but to retreat… for the time being, of course.”

“So you chose to flee instead of fight,” Vader surmised.

“Yes, Lord Vader. It was my suggestion, as I said. I take full responsibility for the decision,” Blut replied.

“Lord Vader, you have my word that I will never run away from a Jedi again. The next Jedi I meet will meet his end at my hands. I swear it,” Offee said, attempting to garner favor with the Sith Lord.

“Well, well… it seems we can reach a decision, Lord Vader,” came a voice from the shadows.

“Master, good of you to join us,” Vader replied, turning to greet Emperor Palpatine. “Barriss Offee, Topal Blut, this assignment was about more than hunting Jedi. It was also a test of your abilities and potential. In order to exterminate the last of the traitors in this galaxy, we require a team of skilled users of the Dark Side. But before such a team can be formed, its leader must be identified. Through the events of today, we now know which of you is best suited to such a demanding role.”

“Barriss Offee, strong with the Force you are. Yet you remain reckless and impulsive,” Palpatine said. “Had you engaged the traitors as you wished, you would have been killed. Of this I can be certain.” He turned to the Pau’an and continued, “Topal Blut, do not forget that we will not destroy the Jedi through timid actions, but through bold and decisive ones. The day may come when you must trust in the Force to guide you to victory against impossible odds, and you must be ready for it.”

“However, your prudence in the events of today is still most admirable,” Vader said. “The Jedi always failed to grasp that fear, even fear in oneself, can be a good and healthy thing. Fear is what brought you back alive today. Fear gave you the realization that to continue fighting would be pointless. Thus, we may now begin to plot our counterattack. Your understanding of your own fear has shown that you are capable of becoming the leader we need to hunt down the last of the Jedi.”

“But Lord Vader… we had a deal!” Offee protested. “ _I_ was to lead this team!”

“I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further,” Vader replied.

Offee thought about arguing further, but the gaze of Vader had paralyzed her with fear. She knew any further dissentions would not end well for her. As difficult as it was, she kept her mouth shut.

“Topal Blut, kneel,” Palpatine said, approaching the Pau’an and placing his hands on his head. “The Force is strong with you. With your help, we shall eradicate the last of the traitorous Jedi Order.” Palpatine produced a small jar of face paint from within his cloak and began to draw bright red markings on Blut’s forehead and under his eyes. “From this day forth, Topal Blut is no more. You are now to call yourself… the Grand Inquisitor of the Sith. Do you accept this title, and all responsibilities therein?”

“I do. I pledge myself to the Dark Side and to your teachings. Through me, your will shall be done,” he replied, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

“Excellent. Rise, Grand Inquisitor.”


	9. Chapter 9

The group made their way with care through a series of back alleys, heading towards one of Coruscant’s seedier entertainment districts. Rex was on guard and nervous the entire time with their traveling companions, but Malik and Serra seemed to know and trust these two. Still, he remained cautious; it’s what keeps a good soldier alive, after all. Soon, they arrived at a door that appeared to be the rear exit to an establishment of some sort. Jax stepped up to the door and knocked in a specific pattern. A moment later, a tiny window slid open in the door.

“Password?” came a rough voice.

“Coruscant has lovely sunsets,” Jax replied.

With a hiss, the door slid open, revealing a large, fat Besalisk.

“Jax, ya made it back I see.”

“Good to be home, Dex. Brought some friends.”

“Hmm… ya sure ‘bout that? One of ‘em looks like a blasted clone,” he growled.

“Why you disgusting-”

“Rex! Stop!” Malik ordered. Turning to the alien, he continued, “Dexter Jettster, Master Kenobi spoke often of you. He considered you a great friend.”

Dex smiled at this. “Obi-Wan was one of the best, as was his master, old Qui-Gon. Oh, the stories those two could tell… but all the same, what’s with this clone here?”

“He’s a fugitive like us,” Malik replied. “You really think Jax would’ve brought him here otherwise?”

“Suppose that’s true. Ah, but we’d better get indoors. Can’t risk those bucket-heads finding us.” He grinned at Rex. “No offense, ya understand.”

“Of course,” Rex grunted.

The group entered the building and found themselves in a dimly lit bar and lounge area. Malik could hear raucous laughter coming from the other side of the wall ahead of them, and surmised that they were in a VIP area of a bar or nightclub.

“Can I get ya a drink?” Dex asked, moving behind the bar area.

“None for me, thanks,” Malik replied. “Jax, mind if we chat for a bit?”

“I figured you’d want to,” he smirked.

The two men adjourned to a booth in the corner and sat across from each other. Malik flung his jacket on the seat next to him, and Jax turned sideways to prop up his legs on the bench.

“So, how’d you manage to survive Order 66?” Malik asked.

“I was lucky, even if there’s no such thing as luck. Was out running an errand for Master Drallig. When I returned, the attack on the Jedi Temple was already well underway. I couldn’t get in to help, as much as I wanted to. The clones spotted me before long, and I had to make a run for it. They chased me into this entertainment district, would’ve killed me if Laranth hadn’t saved my ass. She helped me go into hiding, change my clothes and appearance, and I’ve been hiding out here with her and Dex ever since. How bout you?”

“Serra and I managed to flee the Jedi Temple with Master Windu’s help. He got us to a secret hangar designed for emergency escapes. That’s the ship we used to come back here, got it hidden in a junkyard a ways from the Temple.”

“Awesome! So, Master Windu is-”

“He didn’t make it,” Malik sighed.

“Oh… damn. I had hoped he might survive…”

“Most every Jedi is dead, to my knowledge. Aside from you, the only other ones we’ve encountered are Topal Blut and Barriss Offee. Thanks for that, by the way. How’d you know Blut’s message was a trap?”

“Didn’t know for sure, but had a strong suspicion,” Jax replied. “It all seemed… a bit too perfect, know what I mean?”

“I do. We had that thought ourselves, but decided it was too important to pass up if it was legitimate.”

“I can understand that.”

“So are we safe here? You’re sure nobody tracked us?” Malik asked.

“Positive,” Jax said with a grin. “I took the most convoluted path possible to get here. Nobody knows about this place, I promise you that.”

“You always have been the over-thinker,” Malik chuckled.

By now, Serra had taken Dex up on his offer of a drink at the bar.

“Mind if I join you?” Laranth asked.

“Please.”

“Lemmie know if ya need anything else,” Dex said with a wink before sauntering off.

“So, Jax said your name is Laranth?”

“Indeed. Laranth Tarak,” she replied in her distinct Twi’leki accent.

“That was some impressive shooting out there. You’re quite the marksman… or markswoman, I guess.”

“Thank you,” she replied with a giggle.

“What’s your background, if you don’t mind me asking? Bounty hunter? Smuggler?”

“No, I am actually a former Jedi myself.”

“Seriously?!”

“Yes. I broke from the Order some years ago, before the Clone War started. There were just too many things the Council demanded that I could not reconcile with my view of the Force.”

“I can understand that,” Serra replied with a sigh.

“So for the last several years, I have worked with a group known as the Gray Paladins. We are former Jedi that are still dedicated to the Force, yet we do not answer to the Jedi Council. Most of us even go as far as to refuse to use a lightsaber, and even to rely on the Force itself as little as possible.”

“Interesting… I take it that your marksmanship capabilities are no coincidence then?” Serra inquired.

“Quite true. While most Paladins try not to use the Force so directly, I personally make use of the Force in the form of my shooting prowess. I am able to make shots that are considered impossible for even the best mercenaries in the galaxy. My awareness, prediction, and reaction capabilities are second to none when I am drawing on the Force with my all,” Laranth replied proudly.

“Impressive, though I will need to see a demonstration,” Serra laughed. “I take it the Gray Paladins weren’t targeted by Order 66?”

“No, but it is only a matter of time. All the Paladins I am aware of have gone deep underground into Coruscant’s underworld. I was to join them myself, but I became sidetracked in saving Jax from Order 66. We have been hiding out together since then.”

“Will the two of you join the other Paladins?”

“I have tried to convince him to join me, but he has since refused. He has such a sense of justice, and still wants to do good, even if he must conceal his true nature. I admire him for it, though his stubbornness does infuriate me sometimes,” Laranth giggled. After a few moments of silence, she continued, “May I ask you a… personal question?”

“Sure,” Serra replied, cocking her eyebrow.

“Please forgive me if I overstep my bounds, but I could not help but notice the way you and Malik looked at each other during our journey here. Is there… something going on between you two?”

Serra blushed in amusement, unable to speak for a moment.

“Again, I apologize if I have embarrassed you. I sometimes cannot help but notice these things. We Twi’leks are quite… attune to these sorts of emotions,” Laranth said.

“Don’t worry about it, no embarrassment. But yeah, you could say there’s something going on between Malik and me. He’s my husband.”

“Your husband?!” Laranth whispered. “But I thought Jedi were not allowed to marry, let alone fall in love?”

“True enough, but he and I have had strong feelings for each other for quite some time, even back before we were knighted. We always seemed to bring out the best in each other, balance each other out, ya know?”

“Indeed, I know the feeling.”

“After the fall of the Order, there was no more Jedi Council, and we had to make our own path in the galaxy. Laranth, it wasn’t just physical attraction between us, though there’s plenty of that too. No, we are truly, deeply in love. So much so that we managed to conquer one of the primary weaknesses the Council always spoke of in regards to singular love: the fear of loss.”

“How do you mean?” Laranth asked.

“Well… we don’t want to lose each other, but we know we probably will, sooner or later. It’s just the nature of what the galaxy has become. We accept that. In the meantime, we’re going to spend what life we do have left together, doing as much to help the galaxy as we can,” Serra explained.

“Oh my, that’s so romantic,” Laranth gasped.

As the women talked, Rex sat alone on the other side of the bar, cleaning and inspecting his weapons and equipment. After a few minutes, a glass slid across the bar to him.

“On the house, friend,” Dex said.

“Um… thank you,” Rex replied. “Sorry about… what I nearly said out there.”

“Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t exactly on my best behavior myself.”

“Still, I was out of line. It’s just… the last Besalisk I met was a Jedi General named Pong Krell who turned for the Separatists. Tricked my men into fighting their fellow clones, just to see how much he could get away with before being discovered.”

“I hope ya put an end to him,” Dex said, clearly displeased.

“One of my men did. Executed him before he could do any more damage.”

“Good!”

“So what brings you here, Dex? Last I heard you were operating in CoCo Town.”

“Yeah, but war tends to affect things. Business started gettin’ bad, regulars stopped coming as much…”

“So, no truth to the rumors that you salted your food with addictive spices to guarantee repeat visitors?” Rex asked wryly.

“HAH! I knew that rumor was flyin’ about the galaxy! But naw, people kept coming back for my cooking, plain and simple. Anyway, when business trickled off, I couldn’t make the rent payments in CoCo Town and had to relocate. The rent’s easier to make around here, though the, er, clientele leaves quite a bit to be desired. Still, it’s a perfectly inconspicuous place for Jax and Laranth to hide out from those blasted clones.” Dex took a sip of his drink, continuing, “So, what is up with the clones? They’ve all turned military police on us, branded the Jedi as traitors. You appear to be the only one who hasn’t. What gives?”

“Order 66.”

“Order 66… Jax mentioned that once or twice, but I dunno what it means.”

“It’s a secret protocol implanted within every single clone trooper, ordering them to turn against the Jedi. Each clone is implanted with a computer chip at birth to ensure they will not hesitate to obey this order, or any order given directly by Chancellor Palpatine. The only way I was able to resist was by discovering my inhibitor chip some time ago and removing it.”

“Yikes… maybe I’ve been too hard on ‘em,” Dex said.

“Hard to say. It’s impossible to know how any of the clones feel about Order 66 and the formation of the Empire. Opinions weren’t part of our programming.”

“Suppose that’s true…”

By this time, Serra and Laranth had made their way to the corner, joining Malik and Jax in their booth.

“Jax, I must say, I’ve learned some interesting things in chatting with Serra here. It seems that she and Malik are married. What do you think? Isn’t that interesting, Jax?”

Malik and Serra glanced at each other, hearing a tone in her voice.

“Um, yeah. That certainly is… interesting,” he replied. “Malik? Married, eh?”

“Guilty as charged,” Serra giggled, throwing her arms around her husband and kissing his cheek affectionately.

“I know what you’re thinking, but at least hear us out, Jax,” Malik said, holding up a hand. “We’ve thought this through a great deal.”

“I can imagine it wasn’t too hard a decision, what with there not being a Council to punish your actions anymore,” Jax snorted.

“Jax!” Laranth admonished him.

“Just telling it like it is.”

“If you must know, we believe this to be the will of the Force,” Serra said. “We meditated endlessly about this before making a decision, and every time we tried to pull back, we felt a nudge in the opposite direction. The Force was telling us we are _meant_ to be together.”

“Jax, Serra told me they have even conquered the fear of loss,” Laranth said.

Jax sat in silence for a moment before eying Malik. “If true, that’s quite an accomplishment. But you’ll have to forgive my continued skepticism.”

“I understand,” Malik replied.

“Malik, I think you’ll want to know about the group Laranth is involved in,” Serra said, changing the subject. “She’s a Gray Paladin.”

“Gray Paladin? You’re Force sensitive?” he asked.

“Indeed I am,” replied the Twi’lek woman. “I broke from the Jedi Order some years ago, as I could no longer follow the ways of the Council. We Paladins view the Force as something to simply be a part of our everyday lives, rather than a way of life unto itself. Many of our members have refused to use lightsabers, instead honing their skills with conventional blasters and martial arts.”

“She’s been boasting of her shooting skills, but I don’t believe it until I see a demonstration,” Serra giggled.

“Be careful what you wish for,” Jax said with a grin.

“It’s actually great that we’ve encountered you, Laranth,” Malik said. “Serra and I have been… contacted by a former Jedi that many considered a Gray: Qui-Gon Jinn.”

“Qui-Gon Jinn? But he’s dead!” Laranth said.

“Very much so. But in his life, he trained in secret and somehow discovered a way to retain his consciousness after death. He contacted us, feeling our turmoil and conflict over our decision to marry,” Serra replied.

“At his suggestion, Serra and I have been studying some of the practices and teachings of the Gray Jedi. He feels that we could do a lot of good in this new galaxy with such practices,” Malik agreed.

“So what exactly does a Gray Jedi believe? I thought Grays were just rogues who went against the Council at every opportunity,” Jax wondered.

“That’s what the term Gray has come to mean in the modern Jedi Order, but in reality a Gray Jedi is one who answers only to the will of the Force,” Serra replied.

“I can relate to that,” Laranth said with a grin.

“Ultimately, a Gray Jedi accepts that both the Light and the Dark Sides will always exist, and that the Dark Side can never be completely destroyed. They consider it their purpose to keep the balance, not aligning with either side, yet still helping the Light whenever possible and ensuring that the Dark does not flourish,” said Malik. “We don’t like everything we’ve read about them, but some of their principles are quite sound.”

“I suppose knowledge is rarely a bad thing,” Jax agreed.

“So what’s our plan?” Serra asked. “We can hide out here for now, but sooner or later, the Empire will find us. We need to make it back to our ship and off this planet.”

“Hmm… won’t be easy. Patrols have been stepped up as is, so you won’t be able to travel on foot,” Jax replied. “Where did you say your ship was?”

“In a junkyard a little ways from the Jedi Temple,” Malik said.

“I think I can help ya there,” Dex chimed in, pulling up a couple of chairs for Rex and himself.

“How’s that?” Malik asked.

“I do some mechanical repairs on the side, and I know the junkyard you’re talkin’ about. I go there a lot of mornings before I open the diner to look for spare parts to use.”

“That’s great, but how does that help us?” Serra pressed.

“Because I got a truck with a large, enclosed cargo area. It’s big enough to hide several people in,” Dex chuckled.

“So… you’d be willing to smuggle us back to our ship?” Malik asked.

“Of course! It’s the least I can do for you Jedi! If I’da done it for Obi-Wan, I’ll do it for you.”

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you,” Serra said.

“Now, we’ll want to get an early start in the morning to avoid unnecessary attention, so ya should all probably get some rest. Got a few rooms with basic amenities on the second floor. Lemmie know if ya need anything else.”

“Thanks, Dex!” Malik said, adjourning with Serra to find their sleeping quarters for the night.

Dex saw Rex heading back over to the bar with his equipment.

“Ya doin’ alright?” he asked the clone. “Been awful quiet.”

“Just thinking. My entire existence has changed in the last week,” Rex replied.

“True enough. Got your whole life ahead of ya, but what to do with it? I know exactly what ya mean…” Dex sighed, taking a seat next to him. “I know you’ve had a rough life so far-”

“Comes with the territory,” Rex quipped.

“All the same, I think a soldier like you oughta be welcomed home as a hero, not just thought of as a genetic replication meant to do our bidding,” Dex continued. “It’s gotta be a lonely existence, bein’ a clone trooper.”

“Yeah, but I always had my brothers.”

“Well sure, but that’s not what I meant. It had to be awful… lonely, if ya catch my meaning,” Dex chuckled with a wink.

Rex cocked his eyebrows, realizing what Dex was getting at. “Yeah… that’s true. We clones aren’t exactly allowed to fraternize… with anyone. We have one job.”

“ _Had_ one job, in your case,” Dex reminded him. “Nothin’ says you can’t find a nice woman to share your bed with ya. I mean, what are they gonna do? Arrest ya?! They’ll do worse than that if they catch ya regardless!”

“True!” Rex laughed.

“Listen, I happen to be friends with some stunning ladies, sweet and trustworthy too. They’re great at keepin’ the anonymity of their clients. If you’d like, I’ll ask one to come to your room. Ya interested? They make for great company,” Dex said, elbowing Rex playfully.

“I… appreciate the offer, but I’m not ready for that just yet.”

“Ah, it wouldn’t be anything serious or long-term, what with you leavin’ tomorrow. Just a nice warm pretty thing to spend the night with.”

“Thank you, Dex. I’m floored by the gesture, I really am. It’s just… I need to find myself, find out what I want in a woman before I start diving in, so to speak. Make sense?”

“I suppose so,” Dex said, standing to head to his quarters. “Still, if you change your mind…”

As the two disappeared up the stairs, Laranth and Jax sat alone in the quiet lounge.

“Are we ever going to talk about this?” Laranth asked, breaking the silence.

“What’s there to talk about?”

“Jax, you know damn well what there is to talk about! Are you really going to pretend that there is not something between us? Something greater than mere friendship?”

“I couldn’t deny that if I tried, but you know I can’t act on something like that.”

“Why not? Today, we met two Jedi who not only fell in love, but also married! And they are stronger in the Force than ever! Yet you still will not admit your feelings for me?!”

“It goes against everything I’ve ever learned,” Jax mumbled, looking down.

“There is no more Jedi Order, Jax! I know not what the future holds for me, but I know that I wish for you to be a part of it… no matter what.”

“I… I cant.” Jax stood with a sigh. “We need to get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Jax,” Laranth whispered, wiping away a tear.

*****

Barriss Offee sat alone in her quarters, deep in meditation. Though it was better than prison, this was hardly the life she had imagined when she’d agreed to serve the Empire.

_How could he do this? How could he pass me over like that? We had a deal! I help him, and he makes me his apprentice… that’s what he promised! This isn’t fair… I hate him._

“As well you should, Barriss Offee,” came a voice from behind her.

Barriss turned with a start. “Emperor Palpatine! Forgive me, I just-”

“You would do well to remember that none of your thoughts or feelings can be hidden from me, young lady,” he chuckled. “Make no mistake, we are quite satisfied in our choice of Grand Inquisitor. Still, your hate makes you powerful. You can grow stronger, if you will but embrace it.”

“Please, teach me. Allow me to be your apprentice. I will do whatever you ask!”

“I already have my apprentice, and he is far more powerful than you. There are always only two; this is how the Sith have survived undetected for millennia. As much as I wish to see Exar Kun’s Sith Empire rise again, I shall not break the Rule of Two.”

“Then I am nothing…”

“Only if you allow yourself to be nothing. We still have need of your strength, Barriss Offee. We have found our leader of the Inquisitorius, but must recruit other members as well. If you are agreeable, Lord Vader wishes to grant you a place on this team. You will answer only to the Grand Inquisitor, Lord Vader, and myself. Your purpose shall be to hunt down and eradicate the last survivors of the traitorous Jedi Order. Is this what you wish?”

“More than ever,” she replied.

“Good. Henceforth, you are no longer to be known as Barriss Offee. You are now the First Sister of the Inquisitorius.”

“Thank you, my Emperor.”

“Come, First Sister. We have much to discuss.”

Palpatine led the way down a series of hallways, arriving with Offee in a conference room. Vader and Blut were hunched over a holomap of Coruscant.

“Welcome, my Master,” said Vader. “I see that she has chosen the wise course of action.”

“Indeed she has. She will serve us as the First Sister of the Inquisitorius, answering directly to our Grand Inquisitor,” Palpatine replied. “What news have we from the streets?”

“Our scouts have managed to track the traitors to somewhere in this entertainment district,” Blut said. “Still, their movements were erratic enough that we were unable to ascertain their precise location. Most likely they are somewhere in hiding.”

“If we cannot track them, could we try to look for their ship?” Offee asked.

“It is doubtful that their ship would be in the area,” Blut replied. “Malik Ran is intelligent enough to know that we would track them, and Jax Pavan is resourceful enough to evade our scouts. They will not return to their ship unless they can do so undetected.”

“Hmm… do we know when they arrived on Coruscant?” Offee asked.

“I do not know, but it could not have been very long ago,” said Blut. “After all, it was only two days ago that we sent out my distress signal.”

“So, it is safe to say that they would have landed close enough to the Jedi Temple to make their way there on foot, yet far enough away to avoid attracting attention,” Offee surmised. “Bring up the security recordings from this morning. Perhaps we will see some clue of their arrival.”

The group watched as a video appeared on the wall taken from an Imperial gunship on its patrol that morning. Soon, the ship passed over an industrial sector near the Jedi Temple. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first, but something caught Vader’s attention after a few minutes.

“There. That junkyard.”

“Zooming in,” said Offee. “I don’t see anything.”

“I have frequented that junkyard on many occasions, finding spare parts to repair or modify my equipment,” Vader said. “I visited there even up to the day of Order 66, and am intimately familiar with its layout. All is as it was… save for that object there.”

“Ah yes, it appears to be the ship that blasted its way out of the Jedi Temple the night of Order 66,” Palpatine smirked. “You believe it to be their ship?”

“It must be. That ship is of Jedi design, a true relic from the early days of the Order. I would not be surprised for Master Yoda to have hidden it beneath the Temple for centuries,” Vader replied.

“Then let’s destroy it!” Offee said with glee. “We destroy it, we cut off their escape route!”

“A most interesting suggestion, First Sister. What say you, Grand Inquisitor?” Palpatine cackled.

“Such action would be unwise,” Blut replied. “Yes, their immediate escape route would be gone, but they would simply go further into hiding until such time as they could procure another means of escape. Courscant is vast and many shady individuals would be more than happy to assist a group of fugitives… for the right price. No, if we wish to accomplish our goal of hunting down the traitors, we must lure them out.”

“The Grand Inquisitor is correct,” Vader said. “We must bring them into the open before destroying their ship.”

“I shall handle it personally, Lord Vader,” Blut said.

“No. You and I must depart at once. First Sister, you shall take command of this operation. Double the patrols around the junkyard. Have them alert you of any movement in the area. You shall take an elite troop of clones and lie in wait for the Jedi. Once they are exposed, you may destroy their ship if the opportunity to do so arises. Still, remain focused. Your goal is their capture or extermination, not merely the destruction of a ship. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Lord Vader,” Offee replied with a grin. “I will be victorious.”

“I hope so, First Sister, for your sake. You are both dismissed.”

As Blut and Offee departed, Palpatine turned to Vader.

“How are we progressing on our other project, my apprentice?”

“Quite well, my Master. The explosives Offee planted leveled the Jedi Temple to the ground. Our construction teams are ready. From the rubble of the Jedi Order, the Imperial Palace will rise.”

*****

“Ok, get in,” Dex said, opening the back of his speeder truck.

“You’re sure they won’t suspect anything?” Malik asked.

“Positive. I go to that junkyard pretty often. The patrols in that area know who I am and what I do there, so they won’t think any of this suspicious.”

After Malik, Serra, Rex, Laranth, and Jax had secured themselves in the cargo hold, Dex slammed the door shut. After climbing into the driver’s seat, he slid open a small window, allowing him to see into the hold.

“Keep quiet, ya understand? They won’t suspect me, but any funny sounds’ll warrant an inspection, got it?”

“Understood,” Malik replied.

Dex shifted the truck into gear and got underway, the morning sun just beginning to peek over the horizon in the distance.

*****

_“Patrol five, this is First Sister. Any sign of them?”_

“Negative, First Sister. All quiet.”

_“Roger that, keep me posted.”_

“Will do, ma’am. Wait, got something here. A truck approaching. Standby.”

The clone waved the truck down, indicating for it to slow. As it stopped, he sauntered up to the driver’s side window.

“Mornin’!” called a large Besalisk.

“Dex? Hey, good to see you!” the clone said upon recognizing the driver. “What are you doing here?”

“Ah, just came to do some salvaging. Ya know me, I’m a sucker for a good scavenge,” Dex replied.

“True enough. Let me see your ID; it’s protocol, after all.”

“Sure, here ya go.”

After inspecting the ID card, the clone scanned it into his logbook and handed it back to Dex.

“Alright, you’re clear. You be careful out there, old man!”

“Always am!” Dex called back as he drove into the junkyard.

_“Patrol five, any news?”_

“Nothing out of the ordinary. Just an old man come to scavenge for spare parts; I’ve seen him here a lot before.”

_“Copy.”_

Meanwhile, Dex continued his normal route through the junkyard, slowly making his way towards the ship.

“Nice going, Dex,” Malik whispered through the window.

“Like you ever doubted me,” he chuckled.

Turning to their new friends, Malik continued, “You didn’t have to come here, Jax. This could turn dangerous; you two have done enough for us.”

“Save it, Malik. We’re making sure you get off this planet in one piece.”

“It is the least we can do,” Laranth agreed.

“Ok, ship’s about a hundred meters away. I’m gonna pull off here,” Dex said from the cab.

“Looks like this is goodbye,” Serra said, giving a quick hug to Laranth. “You guys be safe. If you ever need anything, look us up.”

“We will,” the Twi’lek replied.

*****

“They’ve got to be somewhere,” Offee muttered, scanning the junkyard from a rooftop with her electrobinoculars.

“Maybe they’ve decided to stay in hiding a while longer?” one of the clones suggested.

“No, they’re close. I can feel their presence.”

Though the checkpoint below had cleared the truck a moment ago, Offee decided to take one more look. Tracing the path through the junkyard, she saw that the truck had pulled off to the side near a large pile of scrap. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but then she saw that the Jedi ship was hidden just around the bend from where the truck was parked. Zooming in on the vehicle, she saw a large Besalisk walk around the truck and lift up the door to the cargo hold. A moment later, a young man, a dark-haired woman, and an unmasked clone soldier exited from within.

“It’s them! All troops converge on the truck! GO GO GO!”

The soldiers below began to enter the junkyard from all sides, knowing they could cut off the fugitives with proper timing. Looking to join the fight, Offee and her elite troop of soldiers blasted down on their jetpacks.

“Time to end this,” Offee said with a grin.

*****

“There they go,” Jax said, watching the trio head off towards their ship.

“You think they’ll be alright out there?” Laranth asked.

“No doubt. Malik and Serra are two of the best, and we all know what Rex is capable of.”

“True,” Laranth giggled. After watching a moment, something in the distance caught her eye. “Jax… do you see that? On the top of that building.”

“Huh… looks like… jetpacks! It’s an ambush!”

As soon as he had spoken, a group of clone soldiers appeared on the pile of junk surrounding the ship and opened fire on Malik, Serra, and Rex. The two Jedi sprung their lightsabers from their hiding spots and formed a shield around Rex, deflecting any blaster bolts that came their way. Rex did the best he could to pick off enemies from a distance, but there were just too many.

“We must help them! They will be cut down in moments!” Laranth said.

“Agreed. Dex, stay in the truck! Be ready for a quick getaway!”

“Got it!”

Drawing on the Force, Jax and Laranth sprinted at top speed towards their friends. Jax took the lead to deflect any blaster shots that came their way, but the soldiers were primarily focused on the trio near the ship. Soon, the two of them arrived to help, forming another layer of protection.

“Fancy meeting you like this!” Malik quipped.

“We can hold out for a bit while you get to your ship!” Jax said.

“Got it! Serra, get the ship powered up; we’ll cover you!”

Serra broke off from the group, flipping through the air and deflecting shots as she sprinted to the ship. Once she was on board, Malik and Jax took up defensive positions to allow Rex and Laranth the best opportunities to return fire. Rex did well to take out several sentries on the piles of scrap surrounding them, but soon his eyes widened at what was about to happen.

“Repeater rifle! Incoming!” he warned.

A trooper with a DC-15A blaster now stood atop the scrap heap. Planting his blaster on a turret, he opened fire on the group, trying to eradicate them in mere seconds. As Jax and Malik prepared to defend, Laranth suddenly jumped in front of them, firing off shots from her twin DL-44 blasters so quick that the remaining three were blinded from the muzzle flash. When Jax, Malik, and Rex looked up, they saw that Laranth had neutralized the threat by blasting the incoming blaster bolts with her own, then downing the trooper above.

“Woah…” Malik gasped.

“I warned you not to underestimate her,” Jax grinned.

With a slight break in the assault, Rex took the opportunity to board the _Middle Way_ and assist Serra with takeoff. Meanwhile, Laranth began to pick off the troops surrounding the ship with frightening precision, whittling down their numbers to more manageable levels. Jax and Malik continued their defensive tactics, deflecting blaster bolts whenever they could. As they busied themselves with the soldiers, Malik sensed an incoming threat.

“Look out!”

Jax barely had time to defend against one of Barriss Offee’s lightsabers being flung through the air at him. The three stepped back as the former Jedi landed from her flight, separating them from their ship.

“Nowhere else to run. Surrender, and your deaths will be quick,” she seethed.

“Screw you,” Laranth spat.

Before Offee could reply, Jax and Malik leapt into action, attacking her from both sides. She defended with her dual lightsabers as best she could, thinking at first that only these two would be credible threats. However, Laranth noticed that the clones surrounding the area had pulled back a bit, not wanting to catch Offee in the crossfire of continuing their assault. She waited for an opportunity to catch her off-guard, and soon found what she needed. Malik surprised everyone by striking Offee with a blast of Force Lightning, forcing her back as she defended with her lightsaber.

“Take this!”

In a flash, Laranth fired a precision shot from one of her blasters at Offee, aiming directly for her chest. The former Jedi was taken aback by this action, yet still managed to deflect the blaster bolt into the dirt. This was exactly the action Laranth had desired her to take, and had already fired off another blast in anticipation of Offee’s block, striking her in the hand.

“Ah!” Offee yelped in pain.

“Now! Go!” Laranth said, turning to fire on the clones surrounding them.

The three easily made it around Offee and began sprinting towards the Middle Way. Laranth continued to provide cover fire and Jax made sure nothing struck Malik in the back. With her injured hand, Offee knew she would not be able to continue the pursuit of the fugitives, and instead decided to bring out her contingency plan.

“Lieutenant? Ready the RPS-6,” she spoke into her comlink.

*****

Dex sat hunched in his truck, just trying to keep his head down. Though he could probably have made it out unseen with the clones focused on the Jedi, it would also have meant leaving Jax and Laranth behind. No way was he doing that. Peering out the windshield, he saw that the pair had managed to get Serra and Rex aboard their ship and were escorting Malik.

“It won’t be long… hurry up,” Dex muttered.

As the trio sprinted towards their ship, Dex saw a pair of clones out of the corner of his eye. They stood on the edge of the area where the ship was parked, preparing a large piece of equipment of some sort. Dex squinted, trying to see what they were up to, when it hit him at last: they were preparing a rocket launcher.

“They won’t stand a chance if their ship takes a hit from that!” Dex realized. With a heavy sigh, he shifted his truck into gear. “I must be mad… but then, this is still better than what the Empire’ll do to me after all this.”

Dex slammed the throttle forward and sped into the firefight, aiming to run the clones over with his truck. As he approached, his heart sank at seeing that they would be able to fire long before he could reach them. Seeing no other alternative, he altered course and placed himself between the clones and the ship. While he had a fleeting thought of jumping out and making a run for it, the clones had already fired a rocket straight at his truck. Dex smiled and gave one last belly laugh before the projectile struck.

“NO!!!” Laranth screamed, seeing Dex’s truck go up in flames. “You bastards, I’ll kill you!!!”

“Laranth, no!” Jax cried, pulling her to cover.

“Let me go, Jax!”

“He’s gone, Laranth! We’ve got to get out of here, or his sacrifice is for nothing!”

“Jax! Laranth! Get on board!” Malik screamed from the boarding ramp.

After a moment’s hesitation, the pair sprinted the remaining way to the ship, boarding the ramp just as the clones had resumed their assault.

“Serra, get us in the air!” Malik shouted.

The thrusters roared and the ship lurched. Moments later, they were rocketing through the atmosphere towards outer space.

“Shit,” Offee muttered. “That’s twice… never again.”

“Ma’am? What now?” a clone asked.

“Get our air patrols after them, and tell the orbital units to be ready; they’re going to make a run for it.”

“On it!”

“One more thing: get me any available photographs of those five. I’m going to have every bounty hunter in the galaxy after them…”


End file.
